Witch Hazel
by The Great Mikey Weston
Summary: -ANCIENT AND TERRIBLY WRITTEN- Future fic. Hazel just wants to know who her parents are, but 26 year old Ichigo Momomiya doesn't seem to want to tell her. When the time is right, Ichigo sends Hazel off to find her parents. Hazel's goal? Find the truth, or die trying... COMPLETE!
1. My Desire

**Michaiah: Hi there! I don't know if any of you remember me, I was here a long time ago writing…well, that's a story for another day. A recent challenge from an offline reader (I've got some of those, yes, for short stories that I write randomly) brought this stroke of inspiration. I've dubbed this story **_**Witch Hazel**_** (if I can come up with another, bigger plot, it'll have a sequel.) The main character's name is, yes, Hazel. OI, HAZEL, GET OVER HERE!**

**Hazel: WHAT? The story hasn't even started!**

**Michaiah: Disclaimer. NAOWZ.**

**Hazel: Grr. Michaiah does not own Tokyo Mew Mew. She does, unfortunately, own me.**

**Michaiah: UNFORTUNATELY? WHY, YOU LITTLE—**

* * *

_Witch Hazel_

_One: My Desire_

What's a mystery?

It's something you have yet to find out.

Something you want to find out desperately.

But some mysteries, when they drag up old, unwanted memories, are best left alone.

_Weeeeooooo…weeeeooooo…_

The sound of sirens broke the calm night silence. Darkness shrouded the rest of the street, while a tall building burnt to a crisp. Bright flames licked at everything within reach, flickering light bathing the scene with an orange glow. Unnoticed by the crowd, a girl leapt out of the first story window in the back of the building, effectively escaping the fiery death promised to all who remained. Slowly rising from the ground and clutching a bleeding cut on her forehead, blood leaking through her fingers slightly, words fell from her lips.

"I remember…"

She stood and ran blindly into the dark brush beyond, running into the utterly untouched forest just behind the tall building. The old metal gates, long since rusted, held only the word 'OR HANAGE'. Screams rang throughout the night, the shrieks of those still trapped inside. But the girl was deaf to all of this-she heard only her labored breathing and her rapid pulse as she ran away from the place she could no longer bear to look at.

"My name is Hazel…"

The fire subsided later in the night. No one was lost, no one but a girl they had no name for, called Joanne Doe by most. Had she been trapped in the fire? No one knew.

* * *

Weeks passed since the fire. Weeks eventually turned into months, which then became years. Years of searching…years of nothing…

Dully colored brown hair swept around the corner. Bright yellow-green eyes, narrowed, stared across the dark street. She'd heard the sirens. Sure enough, slowly, a police car turned the corner. Hazel breathed a sigh of relief, dashing back around to the back door of a restaurant. She knocked on the door-the door opened, and a hand dragged her inside.

A red haired woman sighed. "Good, you're alright…sit, sit."

Hazel sat down at a round table. The woman placed a plate with a steak on the table in front of her, sliding a glass of orange juice next to it. Hazel picked up a fork and knife, beginning to eat. "This is delicious, as always," said Hazel, mouth full of steak.

"You're very welcome." The red haired woman washed dishes and dried them carefully.

"Mmmm…thank you…Mrs. Momomiya," Hazel said, finishing the steak.

"Oh, Hazel, please…call me Ichigo." Ichigo smiled at Hazel.

"Alright, Mrs. Momomi-er, Ichigo." Hazel frowned. "Can I at least call you Ms. Ichigo? It feels strange to call you Ichigo."

"…Sure, why not." Ichigo bustled cheerfully around the kitchen. Hazel looked on as Ichigo continued to wash dishes and prepare other food.

_Ichigo knew something about her parents…_

Nearly three years prior, Hazel had regained her memory due to being hit in the head with a large frying pan; the result had been the oven having free flames that had burnt down the orphanage. It hadn't been hot, but the jolt had been enough to restore a few memories, like her name. Ichigo had been in her memories, too-that was how Hazel had found Ichigo in the first place.

_But Ichigo still knew something about her parents…something she wouldn't tell Hazel…_

Hazel would have paid any price to know more about herself; who she was. The only clue she had to go on was a necklace; small pink pearls surrounding the centerpiece, a black gem in the shape of a heart. Apparently she'd been given it not long after her birth, but who gave it to her…?

"So, Mrs. Mo-er, Ms. Ichigo," Hazel began hesitantly. "…You knew my parents."

It wasn't a question, but Ichigo bowed her head as if answering. Hazel bit her lip, then asked. "…Who were they?"

Ichigo froze. Slowly, she turned to face Hazel, eyes sad. "Hazel…please listen to me. No one would think it wise for me to tell you who your parents were."

"No one? Who's no one?" Hazel asked rapidly.

"The Mew Mews, of course-" Ichigo suddenly looked stricken. Hazel's eyes widened. "The Mew Mews? Why do you…why would they…" She looked at Ichigo with sudden realization. "Are you a Mew Mew, Ms. Ichigo?"

Ichigo sighed. "…I was. Believe me, I'm wishing I had those days back. I was young, and free, and…I had my whole life before me. My friends did, too. My fellow Mew Mews."

"If you won't tell me who my parents are," Hazel said desperately, "Who will?"

"We'd really rather you didn't know, Hazel," Ichigo said sadly. "Please don't ask me anymore."

"Ms. Ichigo, please!" Hazel even surprised herself by choking out a sob-how had this conversation gone downhill so fast? "I just need to know…"

Ichigo appeared to ignore her for a minute or so, but then seemed to wilt in a resigned manner. "Alright, alright, but…I'm not sure if I'm the one to tell you."

"Why not?" Hazel looked surprised.

Ichigo bit her lip. "Well, your mother was a Mew Mew."

"Are you my mother, Ms. Ichigo?" Hazel knew it wasn't so even before she asked the question.

"No, I'm not," Ichigo murmured, "But goodness, we weren't very good to the girl who was your mother, that's for sure. None of the Mew Mews have spoken to each other in the years since then."

"But who-" Hazel started.

Ichigo held up her hands to signal she'd heard enough. "Please, don't ask me any more. It's painful for me." She opened a cupboard and took out a lilac envelope, giving it to Hazel. Both pairs of hands were trembling as the action was performed. "This is from your parents."

"My parents?" Hazel practically ripped open the letter; if she hadn't wanted to preserve the envelope, it would have been destroyed. All that came out was an aged pendant with a missing stone, and a small scrap of paper, which had one line written on it in shaking handwriting.

_For Hazel. The answer lies in your heart._

"In my heart…" Hazel's expression was bleak. "Is that it?"

"What do you mean, that's it?" Ichigo looked stunned at Hazel's reaction. "Don't you even know what that is?"

"What is it?" She looked at the worn down pendant. "It looks like an old pendant or something."

"That's a Mew Mew pendant." Ichigo looked at it in disbelief. "If your mother made you a new pendant and gave it to you, then you can use it…"

"Huh? But it's missing a gem." Hazel pointed to the middle. A heart-shaped crater stood bare and standing out.

"Hmm…that's a bit odd…" Ichigo searched in the envelope for more, but that was all. Empty.

"It doesn't look like anything's here…what do we do?" Hazel asked anxiously. But Ichigo was staring at her strangely, like she'd never seen her before.

"Ms. Ichigo?" Hazel mumbled.

"In your heart," said Ichigo numbly. "Your heart."

"In my…" Without warning, Ichigo reached forward and snapped the black gem off Hazel's necklace and put it in the heart-shaped hollow, where it was an exact fit. The pendant glowed bright, and Hazel covered her eyes.

When the pendant stopped glowing, it was white gold instead of the golden it normally had been, and the remaining pink gems had turned black. Ichigo and Hazel stared at it in astonishment. Without speaking, Ichigo handed it back to Hazel.

"So it _is _time for you to know," Ichigo murmured. What she meant, Hazel had no idea-but she wanted to find out who her parents were, badly. Ichigo handed Hazel a list of addresses. "Here. Go to these places…they're all not too far from here…"

Hazel scanned the list, nodding. "If you say so." Hazel didn't care what it took-she wanted to remember everything at last, and if going to a few places was all it took, nothing could stop her.

* * *

**Michaiah: Um, we're back. Just to let you know, Hazel doesn't have any genes that make her look like any of the original Mew Mews (I mean the original Mews in Mew Mew form.) She may or may not look like the original Mew Mews in their normal forms.**

**Hazel: THANK YOU, Mitch, that's enough. *glare* All of you review, you hear?**

**Mitch: Yes, all of you review. *glare back* And free tickets to the people who review…tickets to a boxing match.**

**Hazel: Oho, is that a challenge? BRING IT!**

_**PS: Joanne Doe, what people called Hazel, is a slight play off the name 'John Doe', the police term for an unidentified dead body.**_


	2. Hatred

**Michaiah: Hi! *whack whack* This is…chapter two…of **_**Witch Hazel**_**! Starring Hazel…*whack***

**Hazel: I think…*whack* that much…*whack* is obvious.**

**Michaiah: Good…*whack* point. Boxing…is not…*whack*…my thing.**

**Hazel: *whack* Truce?**

**Michaiah: Yeah…for now…while I get my energy back I DON'T OWN TOKYO MEW MEW YOU GUYS ENJOY THE CHAPTER! *faint***

**Hazel: …I win. *faint***

* * *

_Witch Hazel_

_Two: Hatred_

Hazel stood round-eyed at the enormous house before her. "Oh…my…gosh." Daring to take a step toward the gate, she pressed a button hesitantly, calling hesitantly into the speaker. "Hello?"

Someone answered. "Good evening. How can we help you?"

"Uh, I'd like to see Ms. Aizawa…" Remembering what Ichigo told her after giving her the addresses, she added hastily, "I'm a friend of Ichigo Momomiya's."

"One moment." There was a pause, then the gates creaked open, slowly but in a grand sweeping motion. Hazel entered in spite of herself, wearing an almost awestruck expression. She opened the door to the mansion, walking inside and shutting the door behind her. A maid walked toward her. "Lady Mint is in this room over here-" The maid stared at her dirt-covered pants, overlarge and stained T-shirt, grubby sneakers, and smudged face. "You want to see Lady Mint like that?"

"Uh, as soon as possible," Hazel stammered.

"Lady Mint wouldn't approve, surely…but I don't think…no…come this way," the maid decided, beckoning her upstairs. Hazel walked slowly up the marble steps, afraid she might dirty something by accident and be kicked out. She followed the maid, stepping carefully over expensive looking carpets and avoiding all art pieces. At last, they arrived at a very large bathroom. "Feel free to clean yourself up," the maid said courteously.

"Thanks, but…what do I wear?" Hazel asked, blinking.

"Anything. We'll wash your clothes for you." Hazel walked behind a curtain and tossed her clothes over. The maid picked them off the floor and walked out. "Take as long as you'd like. I'll come back in half an hour to check up on you."

"Thank you!" Hazel turned on the shower. The water felt better than anything she'd felt in a very long time.

An hour later, Hazel stood in the closet, a fluffy white towel wrapped firmly around her. She scanned the large closet, again, awestruck. "Is this closet bigger than Ms. Ichigo's kitchen?" she wondered aloud, eyes sparkling. She took a simple, cream colored blouse and a white satin skirt from the racks.

Walking out of the bathroom a few minutes later, she found that a pair of fluffy white slippers had been left for her. Slipping her feet into them, she walked around, looking for a maid to speak to. Finding no one, she simply went into a room to wait.

It turned out to be a room for ballet. Glancing around, Hazel walked inside and took the bar. Ballet being a source of pleasure for Hazel, she did a few basic exercises, relishing having an actual room to work in.

"I see you like ballet."

Hazel stopped in her tracks. A woman with navy blue hair tied into a strict bun stood in the doorway.

"W-Who are you?" Hazel stared at the woman in amazement, mentally cursing herself for not noticing she was standing there.

"My name is Mint Aizawa. The question is, who are you?" The woman's brown eyes were cold.

"I'm Hazel…nobody, really," Hazel mumbled.

Mint seemed taken aback when she said her name. "_You're_ Hazel?"

"Yes, I am." Hazel studied Mint for a moment- she wore an expression similar to the sort that people who meet someone they'd hoped never to see again wear. When Mint didn't say anything else, Hazel prompted her timidly. "Ichigo told me that…you knew my parents…and that I should come to you to ask…"

Mint's head snapped back into attention. "She told you that, did she?"

"Y-Yes!" Hazel spluttered nervously, watching Mint's eyes begin to spark, burn, and flame. Mint stared at her for another moment, then narrowed her eyes. "You won't mind if I add a little competition, then." It wasn't a question.

"I don't understand," Hazel said uncertainly.

"Dance with me, Hazel. If you beat me, I'll tell you about your parents. If you don't…" Mint stepped into the room and shut the door, taking position with her eyes still flaming. "You leave here. And you never come back."

Anxiety washed over Hazel, followed by determination. She swallowed, taking a deep breath. "…I accept your challenge." In her pocket, she felt something strange. She reached inside and pulled out her pendant- it was glowing a fierce, bright white.

Hazel shouted out.

"MEW MEW CHERI! METAMORPHOSIS!"

In a flash of blinding light, Hazel twirled gracefully, now wearing a ballerina dress of a slick white material, her hair short and also white. Her eyes were silver, her shoes were light gray, and a white gold chain held her pendant around her neck. Her sleeves were not attached to her blue ruffled ballerina dress, and she now had very light blue, free wings with silver spots on them. A pair of silver antennae with small, glowing light blue bulbs at the ends protruded from her head.

Mint scowled. "Well then, Mew Cherry…if you want to play it like that, then let's go!" Pulling out an original pendant from her pocket, she shouted. "MEW MEW MINT! METAMORPHOSIS!"

The stage was set. The lights were low…a spotlight rose to envelop each of them. Hazel, alias Mew Cherry, began a graceful twirl. Mint, on the other hand, danced with strength as well as grace. The dance was complicated, hard to keep pace with. Hazel began to panic as she felt her strength fading as Mint danced on with fury. At last, there was a pause…and Hazel fell to the ground.

Mint stood over her as the lights came back on, both of them transforming back to themselves. She spoke in a tone riddled with amusement. "You see? You can't defeat me, ever. Not even with butterfly genes to help you cheat. Your mother deserved what she got in the end, and now look at her worthless excuse for a daughter, fallen at my feet. Now get out of my sight!" The last sentence was spat out, dripping with such harsh venom that Hazel got to her feet, cast Mint a frightened look, and ran out of the room. A maid passing by handed her a sack as she ran. "Miss, your clothes!"

Hazel snatched them as she passed, still running. She ran all the way out of the gates and away from the mansion where she was not wanted. She stopped in her tracks, breathing hard and looking around warily. When she caught her breath, she stood, confused.

_Why does she hate me? Is it because she hated my mother? _That was the answer, upon reflection. But that left the undying question…just who were Hazel's parents?

Hazel walked forlornly along the sidewalk, wishing she had the time to put on some different shoes so she could get out of the slippers. Her long brown hair, though it usually seemed a dull color, actually looked sad and drooping- even her eyes, usually full of life, had become blank.

"Oi!"

Hazel blinked and looked around. "Huh?"

"I guess you're that idiot girl trying to find your parents, aren't you? You don't look much like either of them!"

"What?" The voice had caught her attention. "Who are you?"

A dark breeze swept across the city. Hazel shielded her eyes, hair whipping in the air current, until at last it subsided. Hazel blinked and pulled her arm from her eyes.

A girl two or three years older than herself stood in front of her, vibrant red-orange hair tied into pigtails by a pair of black ribbons. She wore a long, sleeveless white dress with light blue lace on it; her shoes were simple white flats.

"Who are you?" Hazel repeated, eyes the size of dinner plates.

"I should be asking you that," she retorted frostily. "But then again, I already know who you are, Hazel."

Shaking, Hazel demanded again, "Tell me who you are!"

The girl scowled. "My name is Revenge."

Hazel took a step backward. "R-Revenge?"

"Your mother betrayed me, Hazel." Revenge's voice was icy cold and bore such malice that not even Mint's voice could have matched. "We were friends, but she betrayed me. Your father was supposed to be mine." Clenching her hand into a fist, Revenge snarled angrily. "_Mine!_ Not hers! _Never_ hers!"

Hazel gasped. "Wh-What?"

"She stole him from me." Revenge's golden-brown eyes flashed. "So why don't I just take my anger out on the one whose death would hurt her most…_YOU!_"

"No!" Hazel screamed. Already worn out from her long dash from Mint's mansion, she sprinted in the other direction with labored strides. Revenge gave chase, full of energy and having a height advantage. Looking over her shoulder, Hazel gasped for breath as she sped up. Her foot suddenly stuck- and she toppled over onto the ground.

Revenge was suddenly looming over her, expression grim and yet triumphant. "Well, well…this was easier than I thought."

"D-Don't!" Hazel cried. "You c-can't kill me!"

"Just watch me," Revenge growled viciously. "I've been waiting for this for years. Say goodbye, Hazel!"

Hazel shut her eyes. _This is it!_

"RIBON STRAWBERRY SURPRISE!"

A rush of wind blasted by Hazel, whistling in her ear and knocking her to the side. Opening her eyes slightly, she noticed Revenge staggering to her feet, glaring at something past Hazel. "So, it's you!"

Hazel stood, wobbling for a moment until she could regain her balance. Spinning around, she saw a figure dressed all in pink, black cat ears poking out of her bubblegum pink hair. Looking at her face, Hazel instantly recognized her. "Ms. Ichigo?"

Ichigo glanced over at her. "Right now, it's Mew Ichigo." Turning her gaze back to Revenge, she held her bell up in front of her. "I told you to go away and stay away for good! Leave Hazel alone!"

"I never did like you," Revenge spat at Ichigo. "You're too weak…soft…such a sap! A _loser_ who never had any goals, like me. If you'd listened to me, you could've been great!"

"I said GO AWAY! RIBON STRAWBERRY SURPRISE!" Another beam of light flew at Revenge, who recoiled with a shriek of rage. Face distorted in hatred, a dark wind swept across the street once more, and Revenge disappeared.

Ichigo immediately took Hazel's arm and led her to the back entrance of the restaurant. "Come on, we need to get back. Did you meet Mint?"

"Yeah…she challenged me to a dance off…we both transformed, but I lost, so she said I had to leave and never come back…Ms. Ichigo, who-"

"You transformed? What are your genes?" Ichigo interrupted, transforming back into herself and shutting the door behind them.

"I-I'm a butterfly," Hazel replied. "Ms. Ichigo, who was that?"

"Who was who?"

"That girl! Revenge!"

Ichigo stared at Hazel. "Revenge…so that's what she's calling herself?"

Hazel stopped and looked confused. "Who is she?"

The expression on the former Mew Mew's face was solemn. "Revenge is the part of me I gave up. …The part of me that loved your father."

"You loved my father?" Hazel couldn't have been more shocked if she'd been hit by a bolt of lightning.

"Strange as it sounds, when he and I parted ways, the two of us- Revenge and I- argued, until I banished her from my body." Ichigo's expression was bleak. "She's the imprint of my fifteen year old self…the self that was in love with your father."

"But if Revenge is you…then when he fell in love with my mother…" Hazel couldn't finish.

"Yes, Hazel." Ichigo turned to Hazel with fresh grief surging into her eyes. "When I heard, I tried to kill your mother."

* * *

**Michaiah: I left a slight cliffy. YAY CLIFFIES! :D**

**Hazel: Hmph. I'm not over you having Revenge try to kill me.**

**Michaiah: Oh, get over it! It'll happen lots more times.**

**Hazel: What?**

**Michaiah: Also, just so you readers know, Hazel is twelve, putting Revenge at fifteen. Now, review, and help me out here. What's Berry's weapon and last name?**

**Hazel: Grrr…Well, this time, reviewers get…a surprise pastry. Hope you enjoy it.**


	3. Dying Hope

**Michaiah: Hey, we're back again! Here's your surprise pastry! Hand it out, Hazel: PIE!**

**Hazel: 3.141592653589793238.**

**Michaiah: AND THERE YA GO! We also have some news.**

**Hazel: Unfortunately, it's bad news. This chapter is going to be a bit shorter than they've been so far.**

**Michaiah: Just so you see the difference, all of my chapters so far have been three or four pages long on Microsoft Word. Chapter 2 is the longest so far.**

**Hazel: But this chapter is a bit shorter, about two and three quarters.**

**Michaiah: Sorry for the inconvenience, but this chapter felt a bit too filler-ish for me to get into it. I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Witch Hazel_

_Three: Dying Hope_

Hazel panted, walking away from the house. "It doesn't seem like anyone's home…I can't go on like this for long…" She walked away gloomily, a storm cloud over her head. It was late at night, and she'd been looking for more people to tell her about her parents. She was getting faint and exhausted, and she didn't have the energy to get herself back to Ichigo's house. On top of all that, it began to rain.

Hazel fell down on her knees on the sidewalk of the deserted street. "Why me?" she wailed to the sky. "All I want is to know the truth! Can't I at least have that?" A car drove by her and splashed water on her. Sopping wet, Hazel gave another wail and stood, hanging her head as she walked. Soon, a man roughly shoved her aside. "Outta my way, kid!" He continued walking, obviously in a bad mood. Hazel fell onto the side walk again, this time scraping herself badly. She bled, lying there and whimpering. A black wave rushed over her eyes, taking her consciousness away right there, in the cold and rain…

* * *

There was a light flickering above her head. It looked a bit like a jewel.

No, it was a chandelier. A chandelier? What was a chandelier doing in the rain?

But…there was no more rain. What?

Hazel blinked her eyes open slowly, looking around. She was in a large room with soft red carpet and fancy wallpaper, red curtains covering a giant window. Though she could hear the rain, she was not in the rain any longer- she felt relatively warm and cozy. She was sleeping in a large canopy bed with a plush, thick, red blanket covering her, her head laid on soft red pillows. She looked at her clothes- she was dressed in white cotton pajamas with buttons. She felt her face. There was a large bandage on her forehead, and upon closer examination of her arms and legs, bandages there, too. Where was she? _Am I dead? _Hazel wondered, panicking.

"Oh, you're awake!"

A soft voice brought Hazel back from her thoughts. A woman wearing a soft looking white robe over light pink pajamas walked in with a smile on her face. Her long light blonde hair swept around her as she sat on the bed. "Are you alright?" Her brown eyes looked almost red, but they were soft and friendly.

Hazel blinked sleepily. "Yeah…I think…who are you?"

The woman smiled. "You can call me Berry."

Excitement shot through Hazel. "Mew Berry…?"

Berry looked taken aback, but she nodded. "How did you know?"

"My name is Hazel. My mother was a Mew Mew, but I never met her. Do you know who my parents were?" Hazel looked at Berry desperately, hoping she would tell her.

Unfortunately, Berry just looked confused. "I became a Mew Mew later than the rest of them, but…none of the Mew Mews I knew had kids. Sorry, I don't think I can help you..."

"But you were a Mew Mew, weren't you? What if they were just hiding it?"

Berry sighed. "I'm sorry, but I really don't know." Suddenly, she brightened. "I can help you, though, if you want."

"Thank you!" Hazel was surprised and pleased at Berry's offer. "Wait, if you said you know all the Mew Mews, then do I look like any of them? If I do, they might be my mother!"

Berry studied her carefully, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Hazel felt her excitement build as Berry inspected her face. However, she merely shook her head and said, "You don't look like any of the Mew Mews."

Hazel felt disappointed, but Berry smiled. "Don't be sad, Hazel. We'll find your parents, believe me."

When Hazel still looked downcast, Berry handed her a small pile of her clothes. "Here, get dressed. I can take you back to where you live, if you want."

"I don't live anywhere," she muttered. "Ichigo looks after me, but she can't hide me in her restaurant, so she can't do anything."

Berry seemed cheerful about Hazel's sentence. "Oh, Ichigo, really? I haven't seen her in so long! I'll have to call her…" Her positive attitude strengthened Hazel, and she stood up, taking the clothes with her inside the bathroom as Berry left the room, calling Ichigo. When Hazel walked back out wearing the T-shirt and jeans, the shock of Berry's grim expression nearly made her fall over. "Wh-What happened?" she spluttered.

"Ichigo told me who to take you to next." Berry beckoned for her to follow. "She said you have to see this person if you want to find out who your parents are."

_Why do I absolutely have to see this person? Maybe they know far more about this situation than any of the other Mew Mews! Maybe I'll finally know the truth! _"Who is it?" she asked excitedly.

"Her name is Zakuro Fujiwara," Berry replied.

* * *

**Michaiah: I never thought I'd actually write **_**Witch Hazel**_** this far…it's not going to be very long, 10 chapters at most, so… ):**

**Hazel: Only 10 chapters? Really?**

**Michaiah: Yeah, sorry about that…if there are enough people wanting a sequel, I'll make a sequel, but if not, then, well…that's it.**

**Hazel: What? I'm not going to be anywhere else?**

**Michaiah: No, maybe not, but don't worry, if it's a 10 chapter story, there are still 7 more chapters!**

**Hazel: That's kind of depressing…oh well, there's still a lot left, I guess. Well, this time, reviewers get **_**Witch Hazel **_**merchandise. Click that button.**


	4. Halfway

**Michaiah: YES! Chapter four! Here's where things get exciting!**

**Hazel: Huh? Do you mean that in a good way or a bad way?**

**Michaiah: There's some of both. Chapter five is also both, and chapters six, seven and eight are…flashbacks. o3o**

**Hazel: You've got this all planned out?**

**Michaiah: Yes. I'm very efficient. :D**

**Hazel: …Whatever floats your boat…**

**Michaiah: To all of you reviewers, here's your **_**Witch Hazel **_**merchandise. –throws Mashas around-**

**Hazel: What? But Masha is barely in this story!**

**Michaiah: But Masha's COOL! Anyhow…I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew. Get over there and read, you readers, you.**

* * *

_Witch Hazel_

_Four: Halfway_

Hazel shifted a bit uncomfortably in her seat. She was in Berry's convertible, waiting for them to arrive at their destination-a large mansion near the beach. It was Zakuro Fujiwara's mansion, and that made Hazel nervous. Would Zakuro be willing to tell Hazel everything, or demand that she prove herself worthy like Mint, or worse, refuse to say anything at all, like Ichigo? Hazel closed her eyes. No, she had to be the one who would tell her everything…why else would Ichigo recommend her? Ichigo wouldn't lead her on like that; she was trying to help her as much as she could without telling her anything. Hazel didn't see why they had to hide the information from her. Why bother? The truth would get out eventually…

Berry glanced over at Hazel, who was in the passenger seat. "Are you nervous?" she questioned.

Hazel took a deep breath. "A little. This might be the last few minutes of me not knowing who my parents are."

Berry smiled. "We are almost there, so I guess you feel like your life is about to change, right?"

Green eyes shining, Hazel beamed up at the clear sky, the afternoon sun shining brightly. "If I know who they are, I can find them…and if I can't…that's okay, as long as I know who they were."

Berry let go of the wheel with one hand and patted Hazel on the shoulder. "Well said, Hazel. Oh…this is the turn. We're here."

All of Hazel's misgivings reignited in the pit of her stomach as the car pulled to a halt. She and Berry got out, closing the doors, and stood in the circular driveway. A fountain merrily spouted water and changed light color in the center. Hazel watched it turn from red, to orange, to yellow, to green, and so forth, ending with white and turning pink, then back to red. Berry looked out at the ocean. "I can't believe Zakuro gets to live on a cliff that overlooks the entire ocean…the view is amazing."

"Yeah, amazing, isn't it? Really nice. Damn, I can't believe you guys got this far. …Feh."

Hazel and Berry looked up in alarm. Revenge stood on the very edge of the cliff, a smirk on her face. "Hello again, Hazel. Long time no see, Berry."

"I-Ichigo?" Berry asked weakly.

"Berry, that's Revenge! She is Ichigo, but she's Ichigo's evil side that's unattached to her body," Hazel spat.

Revenge grinned. "Berry wouldn't know that, of course…you were born before Berry joined the team. That's why your mother quit for a while, then came back just before Berry joined." She took a step forward. "Say hello to the Grim Reaper for me."

"Only before you!" Hazel choked out. She pulled out her pendant- Berry followed suit.

"MEW MEW CHERI!"

"MEW MEW BERRY!"

"METAMORPHOSIS!"

Hazel, in her Mew Cherry form, looked over at Berry. She wore a pure white outfit similar to Mew Ichigo's with a cat's white tail and white rabbit ears. "You have two genes?" Hazel asked, stunned.

"That's right!" Berry said brightly. "I'm going to enjoy this…I haven't had a good battle in so long!"

Revenge leered at the Mew Mews. "Alright, if you want to play like that…let's play." She conjured a Mew Mew pendant from thin air, but it glowed with an otherworldly aura of shadow. It seemed slightly darker than the normal Mew Mew pendant.

Hazel covered her mouth, and Berry gasped, "What is _that_?"

"What do you think it is?" Revenge purred, eyes glinting. She kissed it and held it to her heart. "MEW MEW REVENGE! METAMORPHOSIS!"

Instead of the usual flash of light, she was enveloped in a shadowy aura- the same aura that created the eerie appearance of her pendant- and appeared again, the same cold grin on her face. She had black cat ears, like Ichigo, but though her dress was the same as Ichigo's, it was red, sparkly, and flatter than Ichigo's pink and frilly dress. Her boots were also the same as Ichigo's, but dark red, and her gloves were the same way. Her tail bore a bronze bell tied with a burgundy bow. Her hair was the same color as her normal form, looking merely as though she'd taken it out of the pigtails and laid it flat, and her eyes were now as fiery as her hair. The dark pendant glowed from its place around her neck.

Hazel took a step back. Mew Revenge looked unnaturally powerful for some reason, and there was a slightly insane glint in her smoldering eyes. "S-Sakura Bow!" A white staff with a shiny light blue bow, a red gem glittering in the middle, appeared in one of Hazel's hands. She held it forward as Berry did the same with her weapon.

"RIBON CHERI FLASH!"

"RIBON LOVEBERRY CHECK!"

Revenge called her own weapon. "Darkberry Mace!" A mace that glowed with the same aura as her pendant was conjured into Revenge's hands- a glowing bronze star was on the handle, held in by metal thorns. She redirected their attacks with a single flick, then pointed it at them. "RIBON DARKBERRY FLARE!"

A burst of flames shot at the pair, throwing them backwards. Hazel sat up first, holding her head. She looked over at Berry- she seemed to have fallen on her head and been knocked unconscious. _There's no way we can win like this!_

"I don't want to kill Berry. We were good friends." Revenge smirked. "But there's nothing to stop me from killing you."

Staggering to her feet, Hazel threw her weapon out in front of her, both hands clutching it tightly. "RIBON CHERI—" Hazel's voice was cut off with a scream as Revenge launched another attack at her. Battered, Hazel looked up to see her standing just a few feet from her, the look of insanity having taken over her entire face. "I guess that's it, huh? Pity. Well, that's a wrap, and there's nothing you can do about it." She held up the mace. "_Au revoir,_ Hazel!"

"RIBON ZAKURO SPEAR!"

Revenge gave a screech of pain as she was thrown backwards, nearly off the cliff. Hazel's curiosity and surprise made her look up to see a very pretty looking Mew Mew with wolf ears and a tail. Her outfit, unlike the ones she'd seen so far, actually had shorts. Her midriff was exposed, also unlike any Mew Mew outfit she'd seen, and everything she wore had a purple hue; her hair, too, was dark lavender. In her hand was a glowing whip of some sort; Hazel supposed this was her weapon.

The Mew Mew looked at Revenge coldly. "I see you're at it again."

"Zakuro!" Revenge snarled.

Sudden realization at whose house they were at and why on Earth there was a Mew Mew here- putting two and two together- made Hazel realize that this was the one who would tell her all. _It's Zakuro Fujiwara!_

"When are you going to learn?" Zakuro asked- not to mention, in a tone that could have frozen over the Sahara.

"Shut up!" Revenge screamed. "Once upon a happy time, we were good friends, but now I'd rather you died and were never seen again! You hid the secret from me!"

"You know why I had to do that." Zakuro's voice was icily calm. "Vengeance is a lonely path; it only leads down the road to destruction."

Revenge made an irritated screeching noise and pointed the mace. "RIBON DARKBERRY—" Like Hazel, her attack was cut off with her own shriek of surprise as Zakuro, quick as a whip (no pun intended) whacked the weapon from her hand. The shock quickly died from Revenge's face. Eyes shadowed, she disappeared out of sight. What was that expression for, Hazel wondered bewilderedly, when it was only Zakuro? It looked so sad…so tragic…

It looked like she was going to cry…

Hazel stood slowly. "W-Why?" she whispered. Though the question hadn't been directed at Zakuro, she turned to face Hazel calmly. "Because she's jealous of you."

"Of m-me?" Hazel's bewilderment increased.

"Yes. You are the child of the one she loved and the friend she trusted so deeply. She wishes you were her child, but hates you because you are like the friend who betrayed her."

"I'm like my mother?" Hazel's expression cleared. "Oh, that's right! Ichigo told me you knew who my parents were."

"Yes, I do know." Zakuro's slightly grim expression grew distant. "I'm the one who found out first. I hid the secret for her. Her family had died recently in a fire…it was the least I could do after she finally found something to love again."

"You did that for her?" Hazel smiled. "Thank you."

Zakuro said nothing, but untransformed and picked Berry up off the ground. "Come on in."

Saying 'come on in' was a bit weird to be saying for a mansion of all things. Hazel stood outside the door. "I'm sorry, Zakuro, but I need to be somewhere," she said uncertainly. She didn't like lying to Zakuro. It felt…wrong.

Zakuro's eyes narrowed, but she didn't question it. "And?"

"I was wondering if you could just tell me who my parents were and be done with it," she murmured.

The look Zakuro gave her was sympathetic, but only just. Slowly, she shook her head. "No," she said. "You've probably heard this a lot, but I can't tell you."

Hazel sighed. Not only was she angry, she was disappointed, and at the end of the search for the truth. If Zakuro, the one who was supposed to tell her everything, wouldn't tell her, then who in the world would? Walking away, she transformed back into herself. Sadness flowed through her like a river until it leaked through her eyes and she couldn't see for water. Wiping her eyes, she seemed a bit astonished at her regained sight, but it wore off as she continued to walk.

_Alone…all alone…utterly, terribly, horribly, cruelly alone…_

_She'd never find her parents…_

_This was the end, her own tragic end…_

"Hazel, wait."

Hazel turned around. Zakuro stood there, expression unfathomable and complicated.

"I may be bound against telling you everything, but Pudding Fong isn't."

Hazel opened her mouth to interrupt- this Pudding person, too, would probably decline telling her- but Zakuro held up her hand. Hazel waited for her to finish.

"I may not be able to tell you _everything_, you know," she said quietly, "but I can tell you as much as I can by giving a small hint, and that's enough to push you onward. Your mother was Lettuce Midorikawa."

* * *

**Michaiah: GASP! We've found out who Hazel's mother is!**

**Hazel: YES! …So where is she?**

**Michaiah: All in good time, Hazel. Next chapter is the moment we find out everything!**

**Hazel: You think everyone's going to start guessing who my father was?**

**Michaiah: Most likely. I know who they're going to say, too.**

**Hazel: Well, review, I guess. This time, only those who guess correctly who my father is get awesome stuff. The ones who guess wrongly will get a lollipop for trying, and the ones who guess who Michaiah is sure they'll say will get a slice of homemade pie that she made. These will be handed out at the end of the chapter rather than the beginning. Later!**

_**PS: The Sakura Bow, Mew Cherry's weapon, is a play off the Japanese word for cherry, 'sakuranbo'.**_


	5. The Monkey's Tale

**Michaiah: Sorry for the long wait! I wanted to see if anyone else would guess, so I waited a bit longer than I intended to...anyway, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH! Ha ha, I've been waiting for this chapter for so long!**

**Hazel: Wait a second! You know who my father is, too, don't you?**

**Michaiah: Yeah, why?**

**Hazel: WHY DON'T YOU JUST TELL ME?**

**Michaiah: Because that would be a giveaway for the readers. I'm going to keep it from them as long as I can, but that time is up now. The truth will be revealed at the end of the chapter.**

**Hazel: Ooookay…well, I can't say I'm not excited, so hurry up and read so you can find out, readers. Michaiah doesn't own Tokyo Mew Mew, so go for it.**

_Witch Hazel_

_Five: The Monkey's Tale_

"L-Lettuce? Mew Lettuce was my mother?" Hazel gasped. "Really? How do you know?"

"As I said. I was the first to find out." Zakuro frowned. "I can't tell you anything other than that. Again, as I said, I'm bound to secrecy. If you were to find out, we could talk more, but Mew Pudding, Pudding Fong, can tell you everything."

"Why her? Why not you?" Hazel challenged.

Zakuro's eyes flashed. "She was not bound to secrecy as I was," she said calmly. "She found out purely by chance; she was never meant to know. She's the reason the information was leaked to the other two Mew Mews. Berry never had anything to do with it."

Realization shot through Hazel's mind. "You mean it's not just me you guys can't tell, it's…"

"Anyone who asks," Zakuro replied, confirming Hazel's thoughts. "If Ichigo had known from the start Pudding was the one to talk to- which she didn't- you could have avoided a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, it looks like you've been put through a test, and from my judgment…" Zakuro gave Hazel a small smile. "You've passed with flying colors."

Hazel whipped out her list of addresses. Pudding's was indeed on there. "How am I to get to Pudding's house?" Hazel asked, biting her lip as she read the address. "It'll take me over a day to get there if I walk."

"I can take you," Zakuro said solemnly. "Transform."

"MEW MEW CHERI!"

"MEW MEW ZAKURO!"

"METAMORPHOSIS!"

Mew Zakuro took hold of Mew Cherry's hand and leapt off the cliff. Catching the wind, they actually glided toward the city. Hazel was a bit worried about how they were going to land, but there was no need to worry; they landed quite well on the street. Zakuro, still gripping Hazel's hand, started to run toward their destination, Hazel barely managing to keep up. It seemed to be quiet; almost no one was around, which she found to be a bit disconcerting. Zakuro finally slowed down after a while, leaving Hazel to breathe slowly and carefully to get air back. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah," Hazel gasped. "I'm fine…"

"Hold it!"

Hazel whipped around. Mew Mint stood there, glaring at her. "It's time for you to die," she said coldly.

Zakuro turned, too, but narrowed her eyes. She and Mint glared at each other for a moment. Then, at last, Zakuro gave a low growl. "You're not Mint."

"I am Mint," Mint snarled. "I'm Mew Mint, Mint Aizawa. And it's time for you to die."

"Hazel, that's not Mint. Mint, as you know her, is not the real Mint." Zakuro pulled out her weapon. "She's being possessed."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hazel's eyes widened. This time, she could hear two voices talking. One, Mint's cool voice. The other, the harsh, cold voice of someone she knew…

She could see a red headed, evilly grinning spirit just behind her as the two shared voices…

"It's time for you to die," Revenge and Mint said together. One scowled. One grinned. Both were foretelling Hazel's death. But that wouldn't happen.

"Hazel, listen to me. Concentrate. You're the only one who can do this, but you have to change back into yourself." Hazel looked at Zakuro in alarm. "What are you talking about?"

"Just trust me!" Zakuro hissed. Hazel transformed back into herself and stood forward. Revenge-Mint's possessed, blank looking eyes narrowed.

"Put out your hand," Zakuro muttered. Hazel put her hand out, palm forward. Zakuro bent close to her ear. "Concentrate on taking out Revenge…remember, you're the only one who can right now…"

"Taking out Revenge?" Hazel asked nervously. "What do you mean?"

"Taking her out of Mint's body. Whenever Revenge isn't attacking you, she's possessing Mint, meaning her and Mint's souls are sharing capacity. Careful that you don't take out Mint's, alright?"

"Wh-What?" Hazel's hand began to glow. "What's…going on?" Her eyes shone in the bright light as Mint grimaced, closing her eyes as she was lifted into the air. A dark orb came out of her…and she fell to the ground. Hazel held the orb in her hand, but it glowed, making her scream and drop it. A black wind flew across the city…

"No!" Hazel screamed. "Revenge! Get out of here!"

"_Oh, I will, Hazel…I will…_" Her subtle, cold laughter rang clear through the buildings as the black wind stopped, and she was gone.

Mint wheezed heavily, laying on the ground and shivering violently. Zakuro rushed over to her side; she turned back to Hazel. "Pudding's house isn't far from here," she said urgently. "Keep along this sidewalk, then turn left and keep going. You'll see it in no time."

"A-Are you sure? What if Revenge comes back?"

"I trust you…you have power you'd never be able to imagine," Zakuro said simply, eyes blazing.

"Okay…" Hazel rushed away, taking the first left she came to and following the path. Though running all that way was difficult after running for so long in Mew Mew form, she felt as if she had tireless energy. When she saw a large house, she didn't hesitate and stopped at the door, ringing the bell. A few seconds passed.

A young woman-barely twenty, Hazel guessed-appeared at the door, her yellow blonde ponytail wagging as she opened the two doors. Her brown eyes were friendly; she was wearing simple blue sweatpants and a bright orange shirt with a glittery blue shooting star on it. "Hi…need something?"

"P…" Hazel suddenly felt her knees buckle and her legs give way underneath her. The young woman caught her before she fell. "Whoa! You look exhausted…you need to rest!"

"T-That can wait." Hazel's eyes were determined. "Pudding Fong? Mew Pudding?"

She looked shocked, but nodded. "That's me. Who are you?"

Hazel coughed. "I'm Hazel. My mother was a Mew Mew, and no one would tell me who my parents were, but Zakuro said to come here…"

"You've met Zakuro?" Recognition glimmered in Pudding's eyes. Her energetic, bouncy voice took on a more serious tone as she led Hazel into the house. "You need to lay down."

"You'll tell me everything?" Hazel asked weakly.

Pudding nodded. "I'm the only one who _can_ tell you everything."

"You mean everyone else can't tell me?" Hazel blinked.

"Well, Mint could have told you, I guess, did you ask her?"

Hazel frowned. "She was possessed by Revenge."

"Revenge…?" Pudding seemed shocked. "You mean Ichigo's merciless counterpart?"

"Yeah, her. She possessed Mint." Pudding let Hazel lay down on a couch in her living room. The caramel, velvety material was warm and smelled of vanilla…Hazel felt relaxed at once. Several, subtly smelling cinnamon and vanilla scented candles flickered nearby, and there was a glass table in the middle of the soft, leaf-bordered brown carpet. Cream tile occupied the spaces where the square carpet could not reach; a small lamp was on in the corner, and Pudding went over to turn on the shiny, dark wood fan. The air was cool, and Hazel felt more at home in another person's house than she ever had in her life- well, she hadn't been in a lot of houses, living partially on the streets and partially with Ichigo for about three years, and the orphanage for most of her life.

Pudding sat down in a black leather recliner, but did not push it back; she faced Hazel with a soft expression. "Hazel, tell me…how much do you know?"

"Not much," Hazel replied. "I have this necklace-" she pointed at the pink pearl necklace "-and I have my Mew Mew pendant." She took out the white-gold pendant, black gems gleaming. "I also know that my parents gave both of these to me, and I know my mother was Lettuce Midorikawa. There's a lot more, isn't there?"

Pudding sighed. "Yes, there is," she said heavily. Hazel blinked. For someone who looked barely out of their teens, Pudding seemed to look as though she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Pudding looked at Hazel sadly. "Are you sure you want to know everything? It's not the greatest story you'll ever hear."

"I have to know everything." Hazel didn't want to cause Pudding any pain, but this was important. "It's important."

The yellow-blonde eyed Hazel for a moment, then nodded. "Tell me first anything else you know."

"I don't remember anything before I was five. Then I was in an orphanage until I was nine, and three years ago, a jolt made me get some memories back. I escaped and found Ms. Ichigo, and I've been living with her and on the streets for a while now, since she can't have anyone else living with her or they'd have her head." Hazel tilted her head at Pudding. "I got a note from my parents saying the answer was in my heart, and Ichigo figured out that the black heart on my necklace was really the heart of a Mew Mew pendant, and that's how I got the pendant…then I went to Mint's house, and I guess she was already possessed then, because she wouldn't tell me a thing, and made me dance against her for the information. I lost," Hazel said ruefully.

"You like dancing?" Pudding asked. Hazel nodded vigorously. "I love dancing. I couldn't sing to save my life."

"I see. Continue." Hazel took a breath. "Revenge and I met up, and she said my father was supposed to be hers, never my mother's…Ms. Ichigo saved me. The day after, I was looking for everyone else, and I fainted or something, I don't remember, but…when I woke up, I was in Berry's house, and she didn't know anything. She took me to see Zakuro the next day, and we ran into Revenge there. She knocked out Berry and would've killed me, but Zakuro saved me, and Revenge left. Zakuro told me my mother was Lettuce Midoriwaka, and she took me to see you, but we ran into Mint, who was being possessed by Revenge. I took out Revenge's soul-" Pudding made a small gasping noise. Hazel looked at her quizzically. "You can do that?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Y-Yes," Hazel replied. "Zakuro said I could."

Pudding looked at her in wonder. "Anything else?"

"Not really," Hazel mumbled. "Zakuro was taking care of Mint and sent me here, so I ran here."

Pudding narrowed her eyes. "Well, she was right to do so. I'm the only one right now who can tell you everything."

"So you'll tell me it all?" Hazel's eyes shone hopefully.

Pudding nodded.

"Then please, Pudding! Tell me!"

Pudding closed her eyes. "You know the aliens that attacked Earth a long time ago?"

"Oh yeah, the orphanage managers would tell us those stories all the time, about Tokyo Mew Mew and everything," Hazel recalled. "There were three, weren't there? One of them heard their names when Ms. Ichigo and everyone else shouted at them…Pai, Taruto, and Kishu."

Pudding's eyes snapped open. "Your parents would have wanted you to know who they were before I tell you anything, so here," she said. "Your mother was Lettuce Midoriwaka, and your father was Kishu."

**Michaiah: GASP! OMG! We've learned who Hazel's parents are at last!**

**Hazel: I'm half-alien? ...Really?**

**Michaiah: Well, duh…who did you think your father was?**

**Hazel: Speaking of who people thought he was, and who Michaiah was sure people were going to guess, the answer was Ryou Shirogane. Nope, it wasn't him! So here's your pie…Michaiah, hand it out.**

**Michaiah: Alright! For you, a slice of HUMBLE PIE! HA! HA! HA!**

**Hazel: She's gone crazy…**

**Michaiah: For those who guessed otherwise, here's a lollipop! Here!**

**Hazel: And as for you two reviewers who guessed my father correctly, well done! You get special dedications! They'll be located somewhere in the next three chapters, so watch out for them! This time, reviewers will get more pie that's your favorite flavor, not a mathematical term or humble, so click that button!**


	6. Overshadow

**Michaiah: Hey, everybody! This chapter is a flashback chapter in which Pudding is telling the story, so it'll be a bit longer. Instead of you all listening to that, I've taken you all back in time. Hazel's not here because we're back in time, but to do the disclaimer, we have Mint! Say hello to the people, Mint!**

Mint: Hello to the people.

**Michaiah: Well, that's not a great attitude for someone who's going to do the disclaimer! Pudding, you do the disclaimer, and hand out the pies, please.**

**Pudding: Okay na no da! Pudding says Michaiah does not own Tokyo Mew Mew na no da! Here's your pie! *throws pies***

**Michaiah: Thanks, Pudding! See, you could learn from Pudding, Mint…**

**Mint: Whatever.**

**Michaiah: Now I remember why this story wasn't MintxKishu. -.-;**

_Witch Hazel_

_Six: Overshadow_

It was a bright, sunny Friday afternoon at the very beginning of summer vacation. Lettuce was cutting through the park to get to Café Mew Mew. She took a deep breath of the fresh air, eyes bright; she didn't look it, but she was sensitive to nature, really. She stopped and looked at a bright flower that had caught her eye, and examined it for a moment. She pulled out a bottle with soil and such in it; inside was a blue rose that was in full bloom. She took a little of the soil that caused the other flower to bloom so beautifully and put it inside the bottle, taking out some of the old soil and putting it back for the flower in the ground. Watering it from her own water bottle, she left the flower at peace as she continued her walk with a new smile on her face.

But someone was watching her, from somewhere in the park. A soft murmur was heard only by the trees. "Lettuce…"

* * *

"I'm beat!" Ichigo sighed.

It was after work, and they were in the locker room. Lettuce looked at Ichigo sympathetically. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of much use today."

"No, it's okay," Ichigo mumbled.

Ichigo turned away to throw on her jacket. Lettuce narrowed her eyes at the cat girl before turning to her own locker and opening it.

Truth was, she was jealous of Ichigo. She got tons of boys chasing after her. The most prominent three were Masaya, Ryou, and Kishu…Lettuce wished she had some of that attention. Ichigo, being the leader of Tokyo Mew Mew and with a lot of positive attributes to her life, overshadowed the simple, lonely life Lettuce led…

Putting on her sweater, she felt something in its pocket. Reaching into it, she found a rolled up piece of paper. Curiosity got the better of her, and the opened it up.

_To Lettuce:_

_Meet in the middle of the park tonight. You have to be alone, because I can't tell you anything unless you're alone. Remember that you can't be seen._

There was no name at the bottom. Lettuce flipped it over and looked at it carefully for a name, but she couldn't find one. She thought cautiously, and decided to go, but to bring her Mew Mew pendant.

"Hey, Lettuce!" Ichigo called. "Sleepover at Mint's still on for tonight?"

"Oh, right! Yes, of course," Lettuce reassured her. Astonishment flooded through her as she realized if she were going to the park, she wouldn't be able to make it to the sleepover on time. But she would go as soon as the meeting was done.

"What's that, na no da?" Pudding asked curiously.

Lettuce blinked at Pudding, then put the note back in her pocket. "It's just a to-do list," she lied.

* * *

Later that night, Lettuce went silently to the park, being sure there was no one following her. Arriving in the middle of the park, she nervously looked around. Suddenly, a voice spoke softly in her ear.

"Are you alone?"

Lettuce bit her lip and responded.

"…Yes."

"Good." Suddenly, a familiar someone appeared in front of her.

Lettuce took a step back, alarmed. "…Kishu?" She tried to reach for her pendant.

"Wait!" Kishu frowned. "Don't transform. Please? I'm not here to fight."

"…Are you sure?" Lettuce narrowed her eyes.

Kishu nodded. "I'm sure. I just want to talk."

Lettuce slowly took her hand away from her pocket. "What is it?"

He looked into the sky, looking kind of confused and nervous. "Lettuce…I, um…I…"

Perplexity overtook Lettuce's facial features. "Kishu, what-"

He interrupted her. "Lettuce, I think I love you!" he blurted.

There was a long silence. Lettuce's eyes widened, and a faint blush bloomed on her face. "You're joking, aren't you?"

"No, really!"

There was another silence. Lettuce looked into his eyes carefully, but there was no trace of lying. "I thought you loved Ichigo?"

"I thought I did, but then…I look at you, and I just…" His expression was wild. "I don't know anymore, but Ichigo's never going to give me a chance. I don't want to throw this all on you all at once, but Lettuce…would you?"

This was a tough decision to make- she and him would both be considered traitors to their teams if she said yes- but she knew what her answer must be. Slowly, Lettuce responded. "I would give you a chance." Because it wasn't only a chance for Kishu; it was her chance to be recognized at last.

It felt good to see his expression light up with joy. Gliding over the grass toward her, he drew her into a hug. "Thank you."

Lettuce felt the blush creeping up her face again, but she didn't mind. She felt better than she had for a long time…like she was actually wanted…

Like she was actually loved…

Sudden realization brought her back-they had teleported to the top of a tall building. She gasped and backed away from the edge, sitting down and leaning against a crate. An arm wrapped around her shoulders, and Kishu's voice spoke softly in her ear. "Don't worry," he murmured. "I won't let you fall."

Drowsiness overcame her. Even though it was a bit uncomfortable leaning against the crate, she felt like sleeping for a week, especially when _he _was beside her…

When he was beside her, nothing could hurt her…

* * *

Lettuce opened her eyes blearily. The first rays of dawn were beginning to peek over the horizon. Alarmed, her eyes snapped open wide, and she looked around wildly, becoming more shocked by the second. Firstly, she was still on the building from last night. Secondly, Kishu was still sitting beside her, asleep. Feeling a bit awkward, she nudged him. "Wake up."

He had about the same reaction to waking up as she did. Stretching uncomfortably, he yawned and squinted at her. "Where are we?"

"We dozed off last night," Lettuce mumbled. "Sorry…"

"No, it's alright. You don't have to apologize to everything, Lettuce," he pointed out.

Lettuce blinked. "Oh, okay. Um, my parents aren't expecting me back until noon…" She was half hoping he'd take her somewhere else.

Her wishes were granted as he nodded, yawning again. "Are you hungry?"

Lettuce thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Then I'll get you something to eat."

"What about you?" Lettuce fixed him with an intense stare. He merely shrugged. "I'll get something for me." As he disappeared, Lettuce sighed and squinted at the sky. The sun was rising a bit more, and the sunrise was breathtaking. The view from the top of the building only added to the beauty, and Lettuce's eyes sparkled.

"I'm back." Kishu reappeared beside her holding a large blanket wrapped up to carry something. Lettuce remained motionless, looking at the sunrise. Lettuce glanced at him for only a second before her eyes returned to the view. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Kishu looked at the sunrise, taking in the colors that ranged from gold to pink. Then he turned to Lettuce and got lost in her splendor. "Very beautiful," he agreed slyly.

Lettuce turned her gaze to him, then blushed as she understood what he was saying. Smiling, he opened the blanket and handed her a pear. "You like these?"

Lettuce nodded shyly and took the pear, taking a small bite out of it. "Thank you."

For the next hour or so, they watched the sun rise and continued to look at the sky even afterward. Lettuce stretched and yawned, making Kishu jump. "Oh, sorry! Did you want to go home now?"

Lettuce pondered this for a moment, then blinked at him. "I actually wouldn't mind…sleeping for a bit longer."

"Alright then."

Though the sun rose higher in the sky, their consciousness fell…

* * *

"Lettuce, there you are! Where were you? We missed you at the slumber party!" Ichigo said in surprise.

Lettuce hadn't seen any of the Mew Mews for two days now; she'd had both Saturday and Sunday off. She looked at Ichigo, biting her lip. "I'm very sorry for missing it…an important visit came up and I was unable to meet you." That was true, even if she wasn't telling the whole truth.

"Oh, that's alright," Mint said calmly. "We couldn't reach you Saturday or Sunday, either."

"That's what the visit was…we went out of town for the weekend." Though Lettuce hated lying, that one had to be told-at least it was only a half lie. When Lettuce had returned home, she'd found a note stating that her parents and brother would be out of town for the next week, because of a chess tournament her brother had in which he could only bring two guests. Of course he'd brought his parents, thus leaving Lettuce to be at home for the weekend. Since she had it off, who was she with the entire time?

Though she'd loved and savored every moment of the weekend, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She was a Mew Mew, he was an alien. Wasn't that bad? Didn't that make her a traitor? She was pretty much the only one who had any desire to resolve the problem by talking.

Through the whole time she worked, the question whirled through her mind. Until, that is, they were sent off to fight a Chimera Animal.

"MEW MEW MINT!"

"MEW MEW LETTUCE!"

"MEW MEW PUDDING!"

"MEW MEW ZAKURO!"

"MEW MEW STRAWBERRY!"

"METAMORPHOSIS!"

The monster was in the park. Lettuce felt a bit nervous about going. What could be there, anyway? It could be-

"Hey!"

Lettuce gasped at the voice of the green haired alien. He was facing them with a perfectly indifferent expression, clearly and carefully pretending not to notice Lettuce any differently than the rest of the Mew Mews. "Nice to see you again! I don't have much more to say than that, so…" He snapped his fingers, and the large bee attacked. Zakuro, Pudding, Mint, and Ichigo immediately launched at it. Lettuce started to go too, but Kishu pulled her out of the way and pinned her to a tree. Lettuce squeezed her eyes shut, but all she got was a hug.

"I missed you, Lettuce-chan!" He wore the brightest smile she'd seen him wear in a long time. Lettuce blushed. "Kishu! In the middle of a battle?"

"Well, it was the only excuse I had to get away…not a great time for you?"

"Not exactly…" Lettuce, though she was bright red, was also smiling. If they were characters in a book, would she define them as star-crossed lovers? She didn't know about the lovers part, but star-crossed seemed to have a certain ring of truth to it. "I think they've almost beaten it…"

"And they'll wonder where you are? Good point." He pecked her on the cheek and teleported away. "Ja ne, enzeru-chan!"

Lettuce put a hand to her mouth, eyes wide. "A-Angel…?"

A soft chuckle rang in her ears as she hurried back to the rest of them. Ichigo wiped her forehead. "Phew! That wasn't easy."

"Yeah, it was mostly dodging the whole time, right, na no da?" Pudding looked at the other Mew Mews. Lettuce quickly nodded.

"So, are we still on for the party tomorrow?" Ichigo asked brightly. Lettuce tilted her head. "Party?"

"The pool party, remember?" Ichigo beamed. Lettuce smiled softly. "Of course I remember." She wanted to go. They were her friends, even Ichigo.

She didn't feel jealous anymore.

She felt like she was constantly flying high, riding with wings of freedom.

She was truly head over heels in love.

* * *

**Michaiah: Whew! I'm done. The next chapter, things get a little more danger-scented.**

**Pudding: Reviewers get awesome shirts, na no da! Review!**

**Mint: Yawn…**

**Michaiah: …You irritate me.**


	7. Treason

**Edit: Sorry about the inconvenience, I couldn't post this. We just moved to a new house and we didn't have internet yet, so there was no way for me to add a new chapter. We only just got Internet. Again, sorry!**

**Michaiah: Well, well, well! Another chapter concerning Kishu and Lettuce's betrayal of their teams by being together.**

**Lettuce: …Um…just wondering…does anyone find out…?**

**Michaiah: Good question, actually, as someone DOES find out in this chapter! Who is it? Check it out! Pudding, your cue!**

**Pudding: Michaiah doesn't own Tokyo Mew Mew na no da, and here's your pie! *throws pie, hits faces* Whoops! Didn't mean for that to happen na no da!**

**Michaiah: …You hit me…**

**Pudding: I'll get a fire hose na no da!**

**Michaiah: What? Wait, NO!**

* * *

_Witch Hazel_

_Seven: Treason_

Lettuce couldn't believe this was happening.

She was home, yes. Kneeling right in front of her house, clutching her purse and watching in despair.

Her dress sense had long since changed. For months now, she had worn clothes that screamed of style. Biting her nails had become non-existent in her world. The same with her old braids; she had started wearing her hair utterly straight down her back, like Zakuro. The glasses were gone, as well, replaced by contacts. The way she carried herself was different, somehow. Self confidence had been implanted in her long ago.

But her life was crashing down on her.

The fire roared and crackled. Licking at everything within reach, it enveloped her house and all of her possessions. When Lettuce had arrived home, it had only been flaming at the bottom. But within two minutes, the entire house had been enveloped. There was no doubt her family was home. And since they hadn't come out, they'd been trapped…and maybe even killed.

Lettuce felt her grief contained inside her like a soda bottle, the fizz pressuring the cap to burst. She was feeling like she couldn't hold her sadness back anymore. But a familiar voice called out to her.

"Lettuce?"

Lettuce looked up, grief stricken. Kishu stood a few yards from her, eyes wide. "Lettuce…what happened…?"

Lettuce stood shakily, eyes filling with tears. "Kishu…my house…my family…"

Slowly, he glided toward her, stopping right in front of her to hug her gently. "It's okay…"

Lettuce at last let herself cry, tears streaming down her cheeks and her body heaving with sobs. He hugged her tighter, comforting her as best as he could. But Kishu knew her sadness couldn't be fully repaired. Slowly, time would heal her broken spirit.

They stood there for a long time, Lettuce feeling a bit better as time passed. "Where do I go now?" she muttered.

"Well, if you came with me I'd have to hide you, so maybe you should stay here…"

"I have enough money to rent an apartment…" Lettuce frowned. "A tiny apartment, but still somewhere to live."

"Good. Do that."

* * *

A few days later, Lettuce walked into Café Mew Mew nervously. Ichigo immediately rushed toward her. "Lettuce, are you alright? I heard your house burnt down, and your family…!"

Lettuce smiled weakly. "I'm okay. Really."

"Are you sure?" Ichigo bit her lip. Mint walked forward, frowning. "Lettuce, all of your possessions are gone, no? I can lend you some clothes for now."

Lettuce took a deep breath, then put on a smile again. "Really, I'll be alright. I have to take that offer, unfortunately. I'm sorry to burden you."

"If my house burnt down, I'm sure you all would do the same for me while we got another in shape." Mint smiled as Ichigo gawked at her.

Lettuce's smile grew. Now Mint, she liked…Ichigo was very nice, and she had to admit she deserved being the leader, but it still didn't seem fair. She, Lettuce, had been a social outcast before she had joined the Mew Mews. Why not make her leader? Because the cat was the leader, and she was just the fish?

_Cats eat fish,_ Lettuce thought bitterly. _Cats eat birds, too. That must be why we don't get along too well. Then again, birds eat fish…am I just at the bottom of the food chain or what?_

Her good mood ruined, Lettuce walked gloomily into the locker room to put her uniform on. Mint poked her head in. "Lettuce?"

"Hmm?" Lettuce looked up, blinking. Mint stepped inside. "Is something wrong? You've really changed…everything about you has changed."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lettuce retorted, hanging her loud and colorful band T-shirt where her simple polos used to hang.

"Lettuce, your dress sense, your personality…everything is different." Mint stared into Lettuce's eyes as Lettuce threw on the dress. Long since had she changed the white on the uniform for gray.

"Your point?" Lettuce asked, putting her lime green skinny jeans in the locker along with her purse.

"…Lettuce, what _happened?_" Mint finally asked, eyes wide.

"…" Lettuce sighed. "_He _happened."

At once, Mint looked interested. "_He?_"

"My, ah…" Lettuce hesitated, then decided to say it while being careful with his identity. "…Boyfriend."

Mint's face split into a grin. "Lettuce, you have a _boyfriend_?"

"NANI?" Ichigo burst into the room. "Lettuce has a boyfriend?"

Lettuce closed her locker and walked out, right past Ichigo. "Yes, and I'll trust you not to say anything to Pudding."

"WHAT NA NO DA?"

"Nothing, Pudding."

"OKAY NA NO DA!" Pudding served a table while doing a handstand.

Ichigo followed Lettuce, whispering, "What's his name?"

"I'm not telling you." That was another thing that had changed—while Lettuce had always been the second most mature, before Zakuro, she'd almost outgrown Ichigo. Helping her and offering compassion was no longer in her vocabulary, now that her problems were so much larger and Ichigo was still worrying about her little boyfriend…in short, Lettuce didn't want much to do with Ichigo anymore. Lettuce didn't want Ichigo _involved in her life_ in anything other than her duties as a Mew Mew; even then, she wasn't sure she wanted to stay a Mew Mew. Leave a group of three friends because of one enemy to be with her love…was it worth it?

"Why not?" Ichigo whined. "Please, please please?"

"No, Ichigo." Lettuce's voice grew cold.

Ichigo sighed and walked away at last, to Lettuce's relief. For the rest of the day, she got on with her work in peace.

* * *

Lettuce walked into the park, looking around carefully. To her annoyance, Ichigo was here, sitting near the fountain. She'd have to sneak past her. Oh well, not a problem…

Lettuce carefully crept past Ichigo, taking care to blend into her surroundings with her green hair. Her periwinkle eyes couldn't help but flash deviously as she breathed loudly. Ichigo instantly leapt up with a scream and ran off. "AAAAUGH! GHOST!"

Lettuce snickered, then felt sick with herself. "When did I start acting like a jerk…?" Lettuce muttered, walking toward the central tree in the park. Leaning up against the trunk, she took a deep breath.

A rustle in the bushes made Lettuce look up. She was afraid for only a moment, but calmed down. "…Kishu?" she called, as loud as she dared.

The bushes rustled again. Out came not Kishu, but Zakuro.

"…Hello, Lettuce." Zakuro's expression was calm.

"…Zakuro…" Lettuce said softly. "How are you?"

"Don't play that game with me, Lettuce Midorikawa. I know you're in love with that alien boy, Kishu." Zakuro folded her arms.

"And what if I am?" Lettuce fired up immediately. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing," Zakuro said simply. "I can't do anything. I couldn't bring myself to do anything."

Lettuce eyed Zakuro suspiciously. "…And the reason for that is?"

"You've lost too much already. If I told anyone, you'd lose your friends, your allies, your ability to call yourself a Tokyo Mew Mew…in other words, I'd be driving you away from the people who care about you. If I did that, I'd never be able to live with myself." The wolf Mew Mew spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "That's all there is."

"But—"

"I know you've been hating on Ichigo lately, though," Zakuro interrupted, "And that is one thing that has to stop."

"…I've been doing no such thing." Lettuce frowned.

"However subtle it is, even if it's been unconsciously, you've been giving Ichigo the cold shoulder. If you're going to keep doing that, there's not going to be a point in not telling the others the truth, because they'll already hate you."

"…Right," said Lettuce coolly. "Anything else?"

"…Nothing else about Ichigo. But as for Kishu…" Zakuro's eyes curiously searched Lettuce's, sapphire meeting periwinkle. "Why?"

"Why do I love him?" Lettuce shrugged. "He makes me feel wanted. He's everything I could ever want in a guy. Everything Ichigo is missing out on by refusing him. You've noticed he never singles Ichigo out anymore, haven't you? He singles me out instead. Is that how you knew we—"

"No. I saw you with him. In fact, I saw you and him mouth-to-mouth," Zakuro said dryly.

Lettuce blushed. "U-Um…yes."

"There is a way to keep me quiet." Zakuro blinked.

"Is there?" Lettuce instantly looked curious.

"Yes. Transform."

Lettuce pulled out her pendant. "MEW MEW LETTUCE! METAMORPHOSIS!"

Mew Lettuce now stood in front of Zakuro. The green on her costume had long since turned darker for reasons unknown.

"Your weapons," Zakuro instructed.

"Lettuce Tanets!" The familiar weapons appeared in her hands. A sudden thought struck her. "RIBBON LETTUCE SEAL!"

_Keep quiet about Kishu…don't tell anyone about him being related to me unless they already know…_

A green X that only Lettuce could see appeared on Zakuro. Lettuce blinked. "What did I just…?"

"You just swore me to secrecy. I can no longer say anything about what you've just told me until someone breaks the seal." Zakuro spoke calmly and softly, as if she knew about this already.

"You've used this attack before…?"

"Yes." There was no other response. Lettuce assumed she wasn't allowed to ask anything else about that subject, so she remained silent.

Zakuro turned around so she did not face the green Mew Mew. "Take care of yourself…Lettuce…"

With that, she walked off into the shadows, leaving Mew Lettuce alone by the sakura tree.

* * *

**Michaiah: Sorry, not a lot of LxK romance in this chapter.**

**Lettuce: To the next chapter with my bad self, no?**

**Michaiah: Um, you're not 'bad', per se. You're just a changed person. Calmer, cooler. Yes, I mean 'cool' in both senses of the word. NOT A DRINK COOLER.**

**Pudding: I WANT A SODA NA NO DA!**

**Michaiah: There's some in the fridge. Yes, reviewers get soda. SO REVIEW ALREADY. Laters.**


	8. The Fall

**HOLY FRICK!** I'm so sorry! I really have no excuses except for school started and I have had pretty much NO time, so…I'm just really, really sorry. Here, without further ado, here's your soda, and here's the chapter, the longest yet as a reward for waiting so long.

On another note, how do you like my new pen name? I used to be Michaiah! Now I'm The Great Mikey Weston! owo

**I still don't own Tokyo Mew Mew. Still don't own it. No matter how my interests may change, I still don't own it.**

* * *

_Witch Hazel_

_Eight: The Fall_

Lettuce was worried. Forget her cool exterior, Lettuce was downright worried. How was she supposed to go to the café? How could she face her friends and fiancé like this? Her stomach was all out of whack from fear, and though she tried to calm herself by dressing and combing her hair as usual, her fingers trembled with every movement. First things first: she had to find Kishu. Hopefully they could work something out.

Lettuce slid down the rail of her apartment building and ran into the garage, mounting her bike and riding off. Terrible, nightmarish thoughts ran through her mind, of rejection, hatred, and even death. She swallowed and shook her head to clear it, pedaling furiously toward the café. When it came in sight, she took a sharp turn right and hid deep in the trees near it. She slowly ventured out, leaving her bike leaned against a tree. When she had almost exited the wall of trees, she yelped as two hands took her shoulders. "Lettuce!"

Lettuce closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned to look at the pale face of her beloved, golden eyes lit up. She was uncomfortably aware of her shaking shoulders. "…Kishu, I have to tell you something."

He frowned and tilted his head. "What's the matter? You look really pale…"

Lettuce's hands flew to her face, but she slowly lowered them as she decided she'd have to tell him sooner or later, because he'd find out, no matter what she did. She clenched her hands into fists as she prepared, still wondering if she should say anything, and told herself she'd never get anywhere or know what would happen unless she told him the truth. Before she could change her mind, she opened her mouth and blurted her secret. "Kishu…I'm pregnant."

For a moment, there was only silence. The loud caw of a raven nearby didn't even seem to penetrate the thick hush that had suddenly fallen over the entire area. They were purely silent for a moment as Lettuce closed her eyes and waited for a response.

There was only laughter.

Lettuce's eyes flew open as Kishu continued to laugh. "Enzeru-chan…we've been dating for over a year. I know every last quirk about you and how to know what you're feeling. Trust me, that's old news."

Relief washed over Lettuce as she smiled. "You're not lying, are you?"

"Why would I lie about something like this? If I really wanted to leave you for it, I would have already."

Lettuce twisted the gold ring on her left ring finger silently for a moment. "I'm glad…but I guess this means I have to leave the team now, doesn't it?"

"It means I have to leave my team, too. It means we have to go into hiding together. But that's okay, isn't it?" He hugged her. Lettuce just smiled until the sides of her mouth hurt from smiling so much. "Of course." With the muted atmosphere returned, they teleported away from their lives, and everything they'd ever known.

But somewhere nearby, someone had been watching. Someone had seen and heard the entire exchange that had just occurred. Someone had been sitting on the roof the entire time, eyes wide and knuckles white from clenching the hem of their skirt in shock. This someone would ruin Lettuce's life without meaning to.

"Lettuce onee-chan is pregnant…?"

* * *

Two and a half years flew by. No one knew where Lettuce Midorikawa had left to except for a small number of people—four people, in fact. Two of these four people were fine with it. The other two hadn't been happy about the news.

A young woman of sixteen suddenly appeared next to a slightly older sakura tree. She tenderly stroked its trunk with an air of nostalgia. "It's been a while…hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has!"

Lettuce Midorikawa sighed and turned to face the cat Mew and the bird Mew, Ichigo and Mint. Ichigo's hair had grown longer and her eyes, harder—Mint didn't look too much different except for the fact that she now towered over Ichigo, standing at Lettuce's increased height of five foot seven. Lettuce had no time to revel in these changes, though, as she had something to do. "Ichigo…Mint."

"Lettuce." Ichigo's cold voice signified she knew only too well about Lettuce's past affairs. Mint stood tall, regarding Lettuce with calm, self-contained regality. She didn't seem angry, while Ichigo stood in a clear battle stance, weapon drawn.

"How did you find me here? And how did you transform so quietly?" Lettuce's voice, after a few years, had become deeper and smoother, without a single break to be found in her quiet legato of sound.

Ichigo scowled and threw her ponytail back, out of the way of her shoulders. "We've developed new powers. We can teleport, sense other Mew Mews transforming, and transform silently."

Lettuce smiled thinly. "Good to know my powers are still superior." She slid her pendant out of her pocket and kissed it, pressing it to her heart. The green glow shrouded her until she reappeared in her darker Mew Mew outfit. Her weapons appeared in her hands silently.

"Lettuce, stop…" Lettuce's eyes flicked toward the blue clad heroine. Mint looked truly sad. "Why, Lettuce? Why did you abandon us for him?"

"You never would have understood. Ichigo…I was always below you." Lettuce's voice barely cracked as she spoke. "I was the third on the list. Ichigo was the leader from day one. I had no place in Tokyo Mew Mew."

Ichigo scowled. "You don't understand us at all! RIBON STRAWBERRY SURPRISE!"

Lettuce nimbly jumped out of the way. Her eyes were cold. "That weak attack won't work anymore, Ichigo. RIBON FURY MORPH!" A darker presence seemed to take hold of Lettuce. She shrieked and clutched at the pendant around her neck, which seemed to sink into her very skin. Ichigo and Mint took a few steps back.

Lettuce was now surrounded by a reddish aura—she seemed almost possessed. Her outfit was darker than ever, and her hair had become utterly black. Her eyes glowed crimson. This wasn't the Lettuce they'd known for so long—this was a Lettuce they no longer knew. Lettuce didn't even know herself anymore. An almost inhuman growl escaped her lips, lengthened fangs now protruding from the top of her mouth. Ichigo looked terrified. Mint just looked horror-struck, though not afraid.

Lettuce drew her weapons and pointed them out. "RIBON LETTUCE SEAL!" The dark green blast blew the two Mew Mews backward. They were no match for this new Lettuce.

"Fury," Mint whispered.

Ichigo looked at her. "What?"

"She sealed us to secrecy. She's become a Fury Mew, the enraged version of a normal Mew Mew. I knew about them because of all the tests we've been running lately, but I never wanted to use such a terrible power…" Mint stood shakily. "We can't defeat her while she's like this. She's become a superior marine animal. Don't you see the fins?"

Ichigo turned her head and saw what was unmistakably a shark dorsal fin protruding from Lettuce's back. "A shark…?"

"Once a porpoise, now a dangerous shark. We can't defeat her. We have to run." Mint helped Ichigo to her feet and began to back away. "You win, Lettuce." She dragged an unwilling Ichigo into the trees.

The red in Lettuce's eyes faded. A bright light shone as she became herself again. "…Back to my own business…" She walked calmly away.

* * *

Ichigo closed her eyes as she lay in bed. The fifteen year old Iriomote Wildcat Mew had been through far too much. Her pained sobbing had ceased long ago.

_Lettuce had stolen Kishu._

Ichigo had loved him more than she knew until Lettuce took him. Pudding had quickly alerted her and the others of her departure.

_She'd loved him. Why hadn't she taken him while she still had the chance?_

She still did love him. She knew she would always love him, no matter what. Even if he and Lettuce were engaged and had a child already, Ichigo would always love him.

_**But it's never too late to kill Lettuce, is it, Ichigo?**_

Ichigo shot up in bed. Cold sweat had formed on her forehead. "…Who's there?"

_**I'm right here, Ichigo. **_A girl who looked exactly like her, but with flaming red-orange hair instead of her docile strawberry color, appeared in a translucent form, sitting across from her. She smiled. _**I am you, and you are me.**_

"Kill Lettuce? What would that accomplish?" Ichigo demanded.

_**You'd be able to be Kishu's girlfriend at long last. You could have everything you've ever wanted. You could live as you've wanted. **_Ichigo's double grinned.

"But Lettuce…even if she took Kishu, she's my friend. I don't want to kill her." Ichigo frowned.

_**You should kill her. You would enjoy it, Ichigo…**_ The double extended a hand, grinning with cat fangs longer than Ichigo had ever had. Ichigo began to reach out with trembling fingers, but hissed and slapped the hand away suddenly. "GET OUT! GO AWAY! You're trying to get inside me, and I won't let you! Lettuce is my FRIEND!"

The doppelganger hissed furiously and stood, throwing Ichigo's window open. _**You had your chance, Ichigo. You're a fool.**_ A dark wind stole across Ichigo's room. Ichigo gasped and covered her eyes—when it subsided, the girl had disappeared. Ichigo shuddered at her yellow-hazel eyes, glad she still had her own chocolate orbs. She glanced into the mirror and gasped as she saw the doppelganger reflected there. _**You will regret defying me, Ichigo.**_

"NO!" Ichigo screamed and shut her eyes, lashing out. She opened her eyes again and saw her normal reflection. She lifted a hand and looked at her palm with wide eyes. _What have I done…? LETTUCE!_

* * *

Lettuce had succeeded in trapping a butterfly. She looked at it gently and lifted it into the air—it disappeared into thin air with a similar ripple to teleportation. She looked up at the darkening sky and heard a roll of thunder. She prepared to leave, her work finished.

"RIBON DARKBERRY FLARE!"

Lettuce gasped and barely dodged the blast of darkness. She looked back at her and stared at the young woman with wide eyes. "Ichigo?"

She laughed. "In the flesh, dear." Her colors were not remotely pink at all; she looked red and…evil.

"…You're not Ichigo." Lettuce's eyes narrowed.

The girl laughed again. "I am, silly, don't you believe me?" Her smile faded. " Or…do you not believe me? RIBON DARKBERRY FLARE!"

Lettuce screamed as the darkness flew at her, piercing her body with pain. "STOP!"

"You're not good for a man like Kishu. He's _mine, _Lettuce. There's nothing you can do about it." The doppelganger smiled coldly.

Lettuce's entire body was wracked with pain. She screamed and writhed on the ground as some kind of strange clawing at her insides pierced her excruciatingly.

The girl scowled and put a hand to her pendant. "RIBON FURY MORPH!" Lettuce managed to take a glance at the Iriomote Wildcat double and widened her eyes as she saw a dreamy smile of content overtake her features, almost as if she were enjoying the evil injection that was now running through her veins. Her entire dress had become black and more revealing than before, she wore fishnet stockings, and her hair had become pitch black. She had such evil looking fangs that it scared Lettuce to death, and her eyes were an evil ruby. "No…" Lettuce wailed.

"Yesssss…" Fury Ichigo's double hissed.

"The sabertooth tiger…" Lettuce moaned, feeling a horrible electric shock surge through her. "If that kind of power is released…"

"It'll be your end. Isn't that wonderful, Lettuce-chan?" The Fury Mew smiled, showing her creepy Cheshire Cat-like grin. "Goodbye…enzeru-chan…" She pulled out a dark cutlass with a loud cry of "SHADOW BLADE!" She continued her smile as she pointed it at Lettuce.

"RIBON SHADOW BLAZE!"

Lettuce shrieked and froze in a paralyzed throbbing, feeling the rush of death in her ears and the pain surging through her veins.

…_Kishu…Hazel…_

Lettuce's vision faded, and her eyes stared into the sky without seeing.

The girl turned back into the red-orange haired normal Ichigo. A white sundress rippled gently as the thunder rolled. A flash of lightning sparked in the background. She smiled thinly. "I have taken my revenge, Lettuce…" From her wrists, she pulled the two black ribbons tied around them and tied her own hair up into two pigtails with the dark ribbons.

"…For you see, I AM Revenge…"

* * *

**SO GUESS WHAT! **I wrote this all in one sitting! When we get to the next chapter (which WILL be sooner) we'll be going back to Hazel's POV. We're done here in the past, so we'll go back to the present next time. Reviewers get keychains. **CLICK THAT BUTTON!**


	9. Fury Ablaze

**Hey, ya'll!** Told you I'd get it up sooner! I love this chapter, even though it's kinda short! This is the beginning of the final fight, and some last explanations to put the puzzle together. What are you waiting around for? Get reading!

**Yet again, I do NOT nor will I EVER own Tokyo Mew Mew.**

* * *

_Witch Hazel_

_Nine: Fury Ablaze_

Hazel wiped her eyes with a tissue and felt her lower lip tremble as Pudding concluded her story through fast-falling tears. "My mom is dead…?"

"Your father is alive, as far as I know. When you were two years old, he protected you by erasing your memories of this place and leaving you at the orphanage." Pudding choked on her tears and shook her head. "But your mother's death was remarkably unfair."

Hazel stood. "I have to avenge her."

Pudding rose alongside her, wearing a firm expression as she slapped the tears from her cheeks. "If it's for your honor, we have to, don't we?"

"Yes." Hazel took out her pendant. "MEW MEW CHERI!"

"MEW MEW PUDDING!"

"METAMORPHOSIS!"

Hazel and Pudding sprinted out to the front of Pudding's house. "Where would Revenge be?" Pudding demanded.

"…The park!" Hazel realized. The two Mew Mews dashed across town to the park. Thunder rolled, and Hazel jumped as fear flickered on her face. They reached the aged sakura tree in the center of the park.

Pudding scanned the area nervously. "Where is Revenge…?"

"Right here!"

Hazel gasped as Mew Revenge leapt down from deep within the branches, smirking. "Pudding-chan! It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Pudding glowered at Revenge. "Don't act like you're Ichigo, Revenge. You'll never be her."

Revenge's smirk faltered, but reignited. "I'm not here to talk. Talking is over with. You want a fight, I'll give you a fight. DARKBERRY MACE!" She took a few steps forward as the weapon appeared in her hand. "You know, this was the weather when I killed your mother, Hazel. You do know I killed her, don't you?"

"Y-Yes…" Hazel's voice trembled, but she swallowed and masked her terror with a tough expression, rather than revealing it with her previously frightened appearance. "I thought you said you weren't here to talk!"

"I'm not talking. I'm taunting you. Read a book, wouldn't you?" Revenge took several more steps forward, causing Pudding and Hazel to fall back. "Oh, that's right. You can't. You don't have the time. Because I'm about to kill you, Hazel…RIBON DARKBERRY FLARE!" Hazel only just avoided the dark flames, head snapping up at Revenge. There was an insane glint in her vibrant eyes. "I might not kill Pudding…but you're definitely on my hit list."

"SHUT UP! SAKURA BOW!" The staff appeared in Hazel's hands. "RIBON CHERI FLASH!"

Revenge giggled and deftly dodged the attack. "Too slow! RIBON DARKBERRY FLARE!"

The flames hit Hazel dead-on this time. She felt the same pain her mother went through, but refused to writhe in agony. Instead, she stood tall and shivered uncontrollably as the fire ricocheted off the inner walls of her veins. She wouldn't fall to Revenge—she refused, while shuddering.

Revenge scowled. "Dammit…Not dead yet? Tough cookie…must be Kishu's blood in you. But you know as well as I do I have one big trick up my sleeve." She grinned again. "RIBON FURY MORPH!"

"No!" Pudding choked out. "PUDDING RING! RIBON PUDDING RING INFERNO!" She sent the devastation at Revenge, who seemed to be unaffected. She merely grinned wider, the insanity spreading to her mouth.

"Pudding, use your Fury form!" Hazel wheezed, falling to the ground at last.

Pudding's eyes filled with tears. "I…I don't have a Fury form…"

"What?" Hazel gaped at her. Pudding sighed. "I gave up my Fury form a long time ago. I didn't want to be consumed by the same enraged power that fills all of the Mew Mews who use Fury. Fury is a sin, Hazel."

Hazel grimaced and spluttered as she struggled to breathe. It may as well be over for all they could do.

"RIBON STRAWBERRY SURPRISE!"

Hazel and Pudding gasped in surprise as the real Ichigo appeared. "Revenge, stop!"

The attack rebounded off the dark cat as she gave Ichigo a fanged grin, much more creepy and sinister than her previous one. "Ah, Ichigo…come to see the show?"

"Masha!" Ichigo pulled a pink puffball from her pendant; it enlarged and gazed up at her. Hazel would have marveled in its cuteness had it not been for the agony going through her. "Go with Pudding and get the rest of the Mew Mews!"

Pudding seemed alarmed, but nodded cautiously and headed off with Masha. Ichigo used her attack again. "RIBON STRAWBERRY SURPRISE!"

"Shadow Blade!" Revenge rolled out of the way as the beam went by. She pointed her weapon out. "RIBON OVERSHADOW!"

Ichigo froze suddenly. Hazel looked on with horror as the same fiery red aura that shone around Fury Mews burned around her. She turned toward Hazel, grief stricken. "Hazel, help me!" She suddenly lunged at her with razor-sharp claws that protruded from her fingers and broke the seams on her gloves. Hazel scampered away, pushing herself to her feet with deep pain. "Ms. Ichigo…"

"She's c-controlling me…I can't stop myself!" Tears fell from Ichigo's eyes, her long bubblegum pink hair flowing out behind her like a cape. "I'm sorry, Hazel!" She darted forward again. Hazel shut her eyes as she attempted to hurriedly stagger away from Ichigo, but it was futile—Ichigo was too fast, and Hazel had a serious handicap from the Darkberry Flare she'd been hit with. Soon she felt Ichigo's presence right in front of her, and she fought for breath, trying to move faster, but knowing Ichigo's claws would rip through her skin any moment…she stumbled and readied herself for the fatal blows—

CLANG!

Hazel's eyes opened wide.

She'd never seen him. She'd never known him. She'd never recalled any of him.

The one defending her from Ichigo's sharp and lethal claws, however, was incredibly and undeniably her father.

"Kishu!" Ichigo panted, hurting but shocked.

"Ichigo," he grunted, shoving her away. Hazel took notice of the twin katana he was holding. "I know you're under the influence of the Overshadow, but I still can't let you hurt Hazel!"

Hazel backed off and let Kishu and Ichigo fight, Ichigo against her will, Kishu only using defensive moves. She continued backing away until she bumped into someone. She twisted around to look straight into Revenge's cold, black eyes that held deep amusement. Hazel screamed and jumped to her feet, scrambling to get away.

"Hazel!" Kishu shouted. "Use your Fury morph!"

"I thought it was a sin!" Hazel continued putting distance between herself and Revenge, and Revenge was clearly enjoying it. She smirked. "That's right, Kishu-kun…it's a sin."

"Don't you dare speak to me, you demoness! And don't forget you're half alien, Hazel—the usual rules don't apply!"

Hazel's eyes grew round as she realized this. "That's right!" Standing weakly, she put her hand to her heart, ready to trust. She recalled everything that had happened up to this point, and readied herself as she took a deep breath and shouted.

"RIBON FURY MORPH!"

Rather than pain or content, she felt a surge of adrenaline run through her—this was true power. She felt the butterfly wings on her back change into something else, fangs poke out of her mouth, and her entire outfit change.

She opened her eyes and looked at her hands, covered in fingerless gloves made of thick leather. Her dress was dark green and strapless, and she wore a short-sleeved leather jacket. Looking at her knee-high leather boots, she glanced at her reflection in a puddle and found that her hair was the emerald of her father's, and her eyes were gold. Her ears had become pointed, while her butterfly antennae had become small, cream horns. Her choker was spiked, with the Mew mark below it rather than the pendant, as it was with all Fury morphs. Her fangs were sharp, but not over exaggerated like Revenge's. A scaly tail twitched behind her, and huge, leathery wings flapped when she moved them.

Her Fury morph was not what she'd expected, a bee, a hornet, or anything like that. Far from it, Hazel had become the only Mew Mew to be infused with a deadly mythical creature: a dragon.

She felt the rush in her body and knew at once this battle was not impossible. Feeling burning in the back of her throat, she knew what to do; she opened her mouth wide and exhaled, resulting in a burning blaze of fire from her throat. Somehow, Hazel had breathed fire.

Revenge gasped and jumped away. Hazel hissed at Revenge angrily. "You can't win, Revenge!"

"Oh, can't I? RIBON SHADOW BLAZE!" Revenge shot the blare of darkness at Hazel, grinning wildly. Hazel jumped and soared out of the way, landing on the ground easily. She put her hands across her chest and prepared to call her weapon…but this was different. They weren't hers; they were…someone else's.

"DRAGON SWORDS!" Hazel felt the two blades in her hands as if she'd known them all her life. Hearing her father and Ichigo fighting in the background, claws against katanas, she knew she'd lost the battle long, long ago.

But vowed she would win the war.

* * *

**Next chapter is the concluding chapter! **And here are your keychains! –tosses them- Anyway, those of you who read the final chapter get…a free pass to the sequel if and when I do write one (and a small dedication next chapter, too)! Just not soon, I'm writing other stories, too. **STAY TUNED!**


	10. Finale's Viridis

I'm sorry to say this is it. This is the **final chapter**, and the **final battle**. It's been fun writing this story. **Guess what:** **this is the first story I've ever completed fully.** (I wrote one before this, my very first, but I don't speak of it, it was **TERRIBLE**, and also in the Tokyo Mew Mew section. It makes me gag to think of it now. Don't try to look for it, I erased it out of shame. **Bleh.**) To everyone who's reviewed…**thank you SOOOOO MUCH~!**

And now, without further ado…I give you chapter ten, the final chapter, of **Witch Hazel**: Finale's Viridis.

* * *

_Witch Hazel_

_Ten: Finale's Viridis_

Hazel's golden eyes stared coldly into the hard emptiness of Revenge's pale visage. The two circled each other, the faint _clinks_ of metal against metal raising their pulses. Hazel felt, for a fleeting moment, fear, then felt nothing at all. Her body was cold, but she seemed apart from the chill that had swept over the park. Except for the fight in the background, all was silent.

"So what'll it be, Hazel?" Revenge crooned, putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head. Hazel felt a little taken aback until she saw Revenge's fingers twitch on her cutlass—she was ready to attack at any moment, and wasn't letting her guard down by stopping the rotation.

"What are my options?" Hazel retorted, eyebrows in danger of flying into her hair.

Revenge smiled. "You could fight me and die…or you could make my job easy and surrender now."

Outrage surged the dragon Fury's mind. How dare she suggest such a thing to the daughter of two people who had never given up? Lettuce hadn't given up, even at her death. Kishu wasn't giving up, as the tell-tale duel against an overshadowed Ichigo said quite plainly. There was no way Hazel was going to give up, after she'd gotten so far. For her family's honor, she'd fight to the end.

"I think you know my answer," Hazel said quietly, and raised her swords, pointing them at Revenge. No attack words came to her, and she realized with her superior powers as a half-alien, she could attack soundlessly. Crossing her arms, she sliced the air, and found black and white bolts of energy shooting at Revenge. Revenge's smile turned into a grimace as she tried to throw the attack away, without success. She was hit in the chest, and doubled over for a moment, panting. Her head flicked up, and the murky darkness of her own eyes met Hazel's. "You are _not_ superior," Revenge hissed softly. "You will _never, ever_ be superior to me. _I _am the leader, and _you_ will never defeat me."

Hazel realized Revenge wasn't seeing her anymore; she was seeing Lettuce all over again, this time a Lettuce that had been prepared to fight and was besting her. "You're wrong." This time, she felt words rise to her lips, and a surge of energy flicker in her heart. She raised the swords and pointed them as one to the sky. A ball of energy glowed and grew larger and larger. Revenge growled and pulled her sword back, prepared to counter.

Hazel crossed the swords together and launched the flaming ball of light. "RIBON DRAGON RAGE!" She threw the energy at Revenge, who blocked the main blast, but screeched as she was hit with the remnants of the electricity. Hazel smiled and twirled the blades in her hands. "I'm fighting you for honor, Revenge, I hope you realize."

"_Honor? _Honor has no value in this world…especially not to your mother, who betrayed us!" Revenge spat angrily.

"You're not fighting for the rest of Tokyo Mew Mew! You're fighting for yourself! RIBON DRAGON RAGE!" Hazel threw another blast at Revenge. Revenge fully dodged it this time, and retaliated with her own attack. Hazel was hit in the shoulder, but her gaze never wavered from Revenge, even as she clutched the injury painfully. "When are you going to realize that?" She shouted.

Revenge's arms shook as she spoke, voice trembling as much as every fiber in her being. "I'm fighting for justice!"

"So am I!" Hazel now felt grief surging in her as well as blood welling on her shoulder. "This doesn't have to be like this…"

Revenge's eyes flickered—the yellow-hazel became chocolate for only a moment.

"We've both lost things," Hazel continued. "We can make things right…start over…"

"…RIBON SHADOW BLAZE!" Hazel twisted to the side as the desperate attack was thrown at her. Looking at Revenge, she felt a strange twist of pity as tears, ebony and painfully drawing blood down Revenge's cheeks, fell from her eyes. Hazel understood: it broke Revenge to feel anything but hatred. Hazel was dimly aware of her opponent's suddenly horror-filled eyes, as Revenge's own arms began working against her and throwing attacks of their own accord. Revenge's mind was changing, but the evil inside her was determined to destroy Hazel. Hazel grimaced and threw another attack at Revenge, who dodged without meaning to. She looked as if she were under attack, and gasped for breath. Suddenly she looked up, the hatred returned to her face. "…I'm not through with you yet…"

"I don't want to fight anymore." Hazel spoke softly. "Don't do this."

Revenge stood and started the circling again. "What do you say to this being the final blow?" she asked coldly as she locked eyes with Hazel. "Your best attack. Loser dies."

"…Normally I wouldn't accept." Hazel straightened up slightly. "…But I have to."

The circle stopped. Revenge took her sword in both hands and pointed it at Hazel.

Hazel crossed her swords over her chest, eyes glowing.

Revenge's gaze locked with Hazel's.

Hazel felt the blood roaring in her ears.

Revenge's blood-stained cheeks shone dully.

Hazel drew in a sharp breath.

It was silent except for the fight going on behind them.

And they screamed…

"RIBON SHADOW BLAZE!"

"RIBON DRAGON RAGE!"

The ray of shadow burst from the tip of Revenge's sword. The ball of light flew from Hazel's weapons.

Light and darkness merged as one, and exploded until the brawling pair in the back had fallen. Blood streamed from a cut on one of Hazel's cheeks; her entire body was shaking. Revenge panted heavily as she stood her ground, holding up her sword. Hazel felt like she might collapse any moment, but held her weak body up. She felt her resistance weakening, but knew by the pact that there would be no final attack on Revenge's part—the final showdown was finished.

And even as she watched, Revenge fell backward and did not move.

Hazel felt her mouth go dry as a terrible scream pierced the air. A black essence rose from the body on the ground, and dispelled at once, leaving a ghostly form of a perfectly normal looking fifteen-year-old Ichigo floating some two inches off the ground. She was wearing the same clothes as Revenge had worn. Ichigo's overshadow faded, and she fell to the ground, gasping for breath as Kishu stood, panting slightly from the long fight. The ghostly Ichigo drifted to her older counterpart and spoke in a soft, somewhat dreamy voice. Another figure began to materialize beside her.

"_Ichigo._" The younger spoke gently. "_Your Fury's just faded. Revenge is gone._"

Ichigo looked up, eyes bleak. "Gone?" She whispered. Twelve years' worth of suffering seemed to rise into her voice. "Just like that?"

"_Hazel's made sure she won't come back._" The younger Ichigo smiled and turned to Kishu, who looked stunned at this point. "_Kishu. Someone would like to speak to you._"

Even as the young redhead spoke, a green haired beauty appeared in ghostly form. Hazel took several steps forward, transfixed.

"Lettuce," Kishu croaked.

Lettuce smiled. "_I'm glad to see you again. I hope you can find love even after I've gone, and can take Hazel back as a proper daughter._"

"No, Lettuce…I couldn't…" His eyes were wide and grief-stricken. Lettuce's smile faded a little with sadness. "_Listen to me, Kishu. Our daughter needs a mother, and being dead, I can't be that mother. Please, Kishu._"

Kishu scowled. "I'm a traitor, Lettuce. No one in their right mind would take me."

"_Yes, they would._" Lettuce nudged the young Ichigo beside her, and with a fleeting smile, turned to Ichigo. "_If you take back this part of you that went missing, you won't be taking back your Fury. You'll be taking back your love for Kishu. Do you accept?_"

Hazel felt a fresh wave of sorrow as tears began to fall down the long-pained face of the Mew Mew leader. "Lettuce, I could never…"

"_Ichigo…I'm sorry. I was wrong to be jealous of you. You just wanted to be friends, didn't you?_" Lettuce sighed. "_It's too late…but I can still fix this if you take yourself back._"

Ichigo looked from Lettuce, to Kishu, to her younger self, and finally came to rest on Hazel. Everyone turned to face her, and Hazel bit her lip. "I've never known a mother," she said slowly. "I've never even known a real parent. Ichigo, you've been the first real parent I remember through my entire life. If you accept, I'm ready to start over." Hazel felt her throat tighten, and she looked away, eyes suddenly stinging uncontrollably.

Though Ichigo looked like she might protest, she turned to Kishu and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, Kishu interrupted as he spoke to Lettuce.

"Lettuce, you know as well as I do that I'm very, very transparent." He looked faintly amused. Lettuce seemed to get in on the joke as well as she beamed at him, urging him to continue, which he did. "You know full well that even as I loved you, I still loved Ichigo too."

"_That's why you're so perfect for this role, Ichigo,_" Lettuce said gently, turning to the awed wildcat Mew Mew. "_Please._"

Ichigo looked around again, and sighed, smiling weakly. "Alright then."

The ghostly Ichigo flew into her elder's body, and a faint glow surrounded her for a moment. As this happened, Lettuce swept forward, gently kissed her lover on the cheek, and disappeared with a last smile on her face.

Hazel jumped as the figure laid on the ground stirred. She caught sight of ebony hair as the girl stood, lanky but barely seven years old, judging by her face. Hazel blinked, astonished, as she gasped. "Aunt Ichigo!"

The light surrounding Ichigo disappeared, and as her chocolate eyes fluttered open, she slapped her hands over her mouth. "Lily-chan!"

Lily ran forward and hugged Ichigo. Hazel put a hand to her head, bewildered. "Who's that?"

"My daughter, Lily," a voice said behind them. Everyone wheeled around to see Zakuro, not looking remotely shocked. "Revenge has been possessing her. I've known this ever since she went missing and Revenge took on a permanent body. She's been keeping Lily unconscious for months and kidnapped while she was possessing other people."

"OKA-SAN!" Lily dashed toward Zakuro just as the latter knelt to hug the raven-haired child.

Hazel felt her head spinning. Before she could do anything to stop the surge of blackness, she felt herself falling…

* * *

Several months passed. Hazel sat in an earthy-toned bedroom with a book in her hands, the comfortable recliner leaned back so Hazel could put her feet up. After so many months of looking scruffy and tired, Hazel so looked remarkably clean and well cared for that it was almost impossible to tell she was still the same person. Her green eyes had brightened, her hair, though still a dead-looking brown color, had become smooth and shiny, and she'd become noticeably tanner. She looked up as there was a knock at the door. "Come in."

Ichigo's head poked in, long red hair whipping the door slightly. "Hazel, how much longer are you going to coop yourself up in your room? It's your thirteenth birthday, for goodness' sake, come talk to us."

"Sorry, oka-san." Hazel winced and stood, setting her book down and making a mental note of the page she'd been on. She followed Ichigo out of the room.

Hazel suddenly had a confused impression of colorful balloons, streamers, and being hugged by someone much shorter than her. Looking down, her vision cleared so she could see Lily squeezing her so hard that the breath was being blocked from getting into Hazel's lungs. "Lily-chan…oxygen deprivation…"

"Oops! Gomenasai!" Lily sprang off, quite cheerful despite having nearly suffocated a good friend. Massaging her midriff, Hazel panted. "That's okay."

"Congratulations, Hazel-chan." Hazel's gaze was torn away from Lily and landed on Mint, who had let her hair down for the occasion to flow out behind her. Though she was proper as ever, she'd allowed a faint smirk to rise to her face. "Thirteen, no? It's an important age."

"Thank you, Mint." Hazel rubbed the back of her neck, grinning in embarrassment. Zakuro, standing near a table in the back, smiled thinly as Hazel made eye contact with her. The wolf Mew Mew simply nodded as Pudding, standing next to her, beamed right back. Berry was sitting in a chair near the table, smiling serenely and looking particularly regal. Her father was leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen with a wide grin, and Ichigo swept over to stand beside him, looking immensely proud. "…So cake!" Lily broke the loud and joyous silence with a fervent exclamation, and everyone laughed.

"Yeah, Hazel, when are we going to eat cake?" Pudding said jokingly. "You've kept us waiting long enough!"

"You're right, and I'm sorry, I didn't expect a party," Hazel apologized truthfully. "Let's eat, then!"

"Hazel! Danger! Danger!" Hazel glanced at the pink puffball as he popped up, ringing loudly. "You're kidding, right?" When she received a negative answer, the new teenager heaved a deep sigh. "Alright, alright, I'll go beat the monster…Lily, you coming?"

"You bet!" Lily squeaked, eagerly pulling out a pendant like Hazel's and dropping it a few times in the process. There was a fresh outbreak of cheerfulness as Hazel looked around. "Sorry to interrupt the party…"

"Oh, go on," Ichigo chuckled, positively bursting with pride. Hazel took one more look around, took a deep breath, and shouted with Lily.

"MEW MEW LILY!"

"MEW MEW CHERI!"

"METAMORPHOSIS!"

_The End_

* * *

To all of my reviewers…

THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH FOR READING! You guys kept me going, and I'm really glad to have readers like you! The sequel (because there WILL be a sequel) will come in…maybe a year. I don't know, but it WILL come! The sequel is named _Wintergreen_. Stay tuned for a sneak peek!

"There have been too many attacks in the area for my liking." Hazel shuddered at the hard tone in her father's voice. "This can't mean anything good."

"You're not saying…" Ichigo gasped.

Hazel felt confused as Kishu's expression became grim. "Tokyo could very well be doomed."

* * *

"Listen to me!" Hazel wanted to strike Japhette across the face for reminding her horribly of Revenge. "I'm the leader! I've been the leader! You can't barge into the team and expect me to let you take charge after I've been a Mew Mew longer than you!"

Japhette scowled, mismatched eyes gleaming eerily. "And that makes you the leader? What about power, Hazel? I'm far more powerful than you!"

"You want to bet?" Hazel spat viciously. "I'll make that bet any day!"

* * *

Hazel swallowed and turned to face her team. "What do you think?"

"We'll always fight by your side, Hazel," Lily responded, unusually solemn. "Always."

These words stiffened Hazel's resolve and chased away the last of her fears. Gripping the Sakura Bow tightly, she turned back to face her opponent. "Then, on these terms, I accept your challenge…and we duel to kill."


	11. Extras: What Next?

**HEY!** Guess what, it's **NOT** over! I have a few little fun facts for you guys before I end this story and hit that good old complete button. **Here, listen to this:**

The name Witch Hazel is after the plant witch hazel, also known as wintergreen, which is the name of the sequel.

The first generation of heroes and villains are named after fruits and sweet things and pastries. So what does that make this group? That's right, FLOWERS and various plant life!

The exact species of butterfly Hazel is will not be revealed for some time.

Hazel's colors WILL change in the sequel because she's used her Fury form.

Lily looks more like how the manga Zakuro is described than the anime Zakuro, since in the manga Zakuro has raven hair, and in the anime she has purple hair all the time.

I came up with this story when I was getting ready for bed and I was using a makeup remover/cleanser with witch hazel extracts. I liked the name and I'd been thinking about how to work my LxK fan fiction, thus this story was born.

Hazel's name was originally Sarah until the above occurred.

I don't intend to pair Hazel with anyone for a long time, if at all, simply because there's no one to pair her with. (I'm NOT accepting OC profiles/applications for random people to be paired with Hazel, but I will take suggestions and see if I'll use any of them. Keep in mind that none of the Mew Mews can have a biological son to pair with Hazel because they're all too young to have a son Hazel's age.)

I'M A GIRL! PLEASE TRY TO REMEMBER THAT!

* * *

**And now, deleted scenes. **(I erased them, but I can tell you what happened.)

There was originally going to be an encounter with Revenge in every chapter after she showed up. Instead, the third chapter was missing Revenge.

The man who pushed Hazel aside in chapter 3 was originally Ryou, but I wasn't sure how to work that in so I abandoned the idea.

Ichigo was originally going to be divorced from Ryou with one daughter a little younger than Lily. Hazel was going to assume there was a Mr. Momomiya, but there never was, as you all know full well.

There was going to be a short tidbit on what happened to Zakuro's husband, but that's been moved to the sequel.

* * *

**Finally…**

I just want to express to you guys how sincerely thankful I am that you all stuck with me. I had a long writer's block right in the middle, didn't I? I'm sorry about that again, and thank you so much for bearing with me through the difficult times. Thanks for helping me be able to make this a great story (even though I think I could've done better.)

(If you want to know where I'm going next, I'm heading over to the Mario forums for my next fan fiction. You'll see me eventually if you're interested in any of the Mario series.)

And now for one last shout to all of you guys:

**_THANKS FOR READING!_**

Best wishes,

-Mikey E. Weston, fan fiction authoress


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